


The Years After

by Kitty_Savella



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 10:04:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 62,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11311104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitty_Savella/pseuds/Kitty_Savella
Summary: It wasn't so much the thing that defined his life as it was the years after.





	The Years After

**Author's Note:**

> This story is predominantly about the platonic relationships that develop over the course of the years. It focuses on feelings of familial love, happiness, and belonging. This is at best preslash. There are no explicit encounters between males, or even explicit encounters between males and females. It simply isn't that kind of story. If that isn't your cup of tea, please turn back and find something that is. This story deals with quite a few time jumps, but I believe that they all make quite a bit of sense. If you need a reference for why certain dates were chosen, feel free to check the HP Lexicon (HP Wiki). And even though this story is a bit AU, it mostly follows the events as they happened for the first ten years of the story—with minor tweaks, of course.
> 
> I have never worked so hard on something in my life. The whole story took days of solid work to finish, and I still don't know if I'm satisfied with it. It was a lot of very hard work and sore hands and a brain that just wouldn't function anymore. But it's done, and it's the longest thing I've ever written, and I hope you like it.

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Part 1 – Prologue Part 1 – Oct. 31, 1981

Voldemort was sitting in a high-backed chair in the middle of the Malfoy's grandest drawing room. Ranged around him were dozens of figures in black hooded cloaks, white masks hiding their faces. To his left was a tall figure, the hood of this cloak pulled up and the porcelain mask firmly in place. He didn't need to see the man's face to know who he was. The stiffness to his shoulders alone would give him away in a crowd. But here, at Voldemort's side, it was his position more than anything that let all know who he was. His Potions Master and spy, Severus Snape. To his right was another tall figure, his hood and mask also in place. His stature denoted a certain level of breeding and poise, his position denoted his favor in the Dark Lord's court. His name was Lucius Malfoy, the owner of the Manor they were currently in.

They were all silent as they waited for the arrival of the newest member of their ranks. The lowest ranked members were looking around anxiously, shifting their weight from side to side. Those who had been in the Dark Lord's service for the longest knew better than to show their anxiety or impatience. The Dark Lord did not appreciate the lack of decorum. In his opinion, only children fidgeted when they were made to wait.

It didn't take much longer for the new arrival to scamper into the room. He was a small, squat man with scraggly hair the color of sandy dirt. His shoulders were hunched and he kept his gaze on the ground as he moved through the space. It was clear to see that this man was a total coward. As he stopped in front of the Dark Lord's chair, he fell to the ground and whimpered his platitudes. Voldemort sneered at him, disgust evident in his every feature. If he didn't need the information this rat contained, he'd kill him straight off. The world would be better off without his vile presence.

“Do you have the information that you promised, Wormtail?”

The disgrace of a man whimpered, “Yes, Master. Of course, Master.” He didn't say anything more, simply shuddered in his lump on the floor.

Voldemort raised one dark eyebrow and frowned. “Well?” He didn't like to be kept waiting.

Wormtail puled again, curling tighter into himself. “The S-secret is: The Po-potters reside at the l-last house on the l-left in Go-godric's Ho-hollow.”

'Ah,' he thought, 'of course. Dumbledore would hide him in such a place.'

The Dark Lord was quite pleased to have the information he needed. And now that the message had been passed, it was time to tie up a loose end.

“You have been such a help, Wormtail. I shall give you what you deserve.”

Wormtail looked up slightly and smiled, saying, “Thank you, Master. Thank you.”

Voldemort sneered. Gryffindors could be so terribly stupid. He stood so that all could see him clearly. He paused for effect before drawing his wand and pointing it at the sniveling mass on the floor. “Thank you for your assistance, but you will no longer be necessary. Avada Kedavra!” Before Wormtail could do anything, a brilliant green light shot out of the end of the Dark Lord's wand and pierced him in the chest. For long moments the words of the curse echoed around the room.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

The night was dark and chill. Wispy clouds flowed across the sky, occasionally dimming the light from the full moon. No one walked the streets of the little town. It was late enough that all the children had finished their bids for candy hours earlier. Everyone was now safely ensconced in their homes, their fires burning cheerily.

Voldemort had finally received the last piece of the puzzle that had been plaguing him for the last several days. He had called a meeting of his followers to prepare for this night, and the next several as well. They were going to eliminate the threat to their bid for power, and in so doing, cripple the Light side. During that meeting, his most pathetic follower had bared his soul and betrayed his friends. For his pitiful show of loyalty, he received a swift death.

And now, Voldemort felt prepared to put his plan into action. Severus had proven his loyalty by bringing him information that betrayed no one but the wizened ass that called himself the Greatest Wizard of the Age. With this new-found information, he would have his revenge. He would not allow that doddering old fool to best him. He would not allow a single babe to be his downfall.

Using the night for cover, Voldemort had apparated into Godric's Hollow to kill the Potter child. Now he walked slowly from his apparition point up the lane to the Potters' house. No one noticed the most evil Dark Lord since Grindelwald striding through the square. Not a soul peeped through the curtains to see what was happening out in the night. It took him less than ten minutes to make the trek to his destination. Eleven minutes and he had gained the gate. Minute twelve had him standing ready at the door. No need to knock for an errand such as this.

Voldemort raised his wand slowly and pointed it with a steady hand at the door. He didn't particularly enjoy this errand, but it could be left to no one else and must be done. He took a deep breath and summoned more power than was probably strictly necessary. Better to overdo it than under do it, however. He loosed the curse without a sound.

As he blasted open the front door, James was there to stand in front of him, ready to lay down his life for his son. He knew exactly what this monster was doing in his home, and he would have none of it. He'd been an Auror for the last few years, and believed that he could do what must be done to protect his family. But an Auror was nothing next to the Dark Lord. Voldemort released a cold, cruel laugh and stunned James Potter with so powerful a spell that a simple Enervate wouldn't suffice. The man fell to the floor in a slump. Only powerful magic would wake him now; he wouldn't be a problem any time soon.

Voldemort paused for a moment to listen to the noises in the house; it was the easiest way to locate his quarry without the use of magic. He heard hushed whispers upstairs and the muted cries of a child. His lips quirked into a sardonic smile. Futile, trying to hide from him. He ascended the stairs slowly, knowing that the anticipation of his arrival would be doing delightful things to Lily Potter's mind.

He took five minutes to reach the door, behind which his prey waited in fear. Standing there for a long moment, he allowed the feeling of triumph to flow through him. In moments, it would all be over. In moments, he would be the victor and the Light wouldn't have a leg to stand on. With an evil grin replacing his sardonic smile, he blasted open the door to the nursery as he had done to the one downstairs. The occupants of the room where exactly where he had expected them to be. Lily was knelt before the cot, her hands holding her son's pudgy ones through the bars. He was crying and mewling in fear, fat tears standing out in his emerald eyes. She was whispering words of love and comfort to him. He almost felt sorry for the woman; it wouldn't be enough.

"Stand aside", he said drawing himself up, making himself look more imposing. He had promised his most loyal Severus that he would not kill this woman, and unless she did something to provoke his wrath, he would keep his word.

True to form, she refused. As a mother, she could not simply “stand aside” and let someone kill her child. It was unthinkable. Voldemort rolled his eyes and cast the same stunner at her as he did her husband downstairs.

Now that the parents were out of the way, he could focus on his real target. The child of prophecy. The foretold vanquisher of the Dark Lord. He would be granted no mercy. The prophecy said he would know power the Dark Lord knew not, and that neither should live whilst the other survived. Well, he would take care of that.

His wand rose and leveled at the squalling child. A breath, a heartbeat, and then the curse. The poisonous green spell shot out of the tip of the wand and headed straight for the boy. Any second now and it would be over. He waited, wanting to see the light fade in the child's eyes. But the second passed, then the next. The infant's screams only grew louder, instead of cutting off abruptly. Something had gone wrong. The light had stopped before it got to him; it simply winked out.

Voldemort was quite baffled. No, it did not make sense. The prophecy said... One was supposed to kill the other. It should have worked. But, no. The prophecy also said that he'd know power the Dark Lord knew not...maybe this was that power. It bore further study. Something was definitely not right.

Below, the sounds of curious calls and people milling around caught the Dark Lord's attention. His entrance to the home must have drawn more attention than he had imagined it would. Damn his need for ostentation. His time was quite short, but he wanted answers. He needed to know what went wrong, but he would go now and bide his time. He would find out what had stopped his curse from hitting the Potter child. And then he would return. If the child was lucky, he would be allowed to live.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

There were dozens of people crowding the main lane of Godric's Hollow. Women in long dressing gowns with sleep caps on their heads and men in heavy robes with worn slippers were standing around in little groups and whispering feverishly to each other. It was clear to any newcomer that something had happened.

It grew more congested as the old fellow walked further up the lane. More women and men were grouped together, and even some children had found their way out of bed and onto the scene. Everyone was so concerned with talking to each other that they ignored all of the strangely dressed people moving closer to the house on the corner.

An old woman was standing just outside the gate, seemingly keeping others from entering the house. She looked a bit stern and kept leveling glares on anyone who dared get too close. The old man who had been walking down the lane stopped in front of her and gave her a grim smile.

“Have you been inside yet, Bathilda?” He asked, looking beyond her at the ruined front door.

She shook her head and moved to allow him to pass if he was so inclined. “No. Once I saw what happened to the front door, and poor James' body on the floor, I figured it'd be better to wait for you to arrive. Didn't want to disrupt something that might help you figure out who did this and why. Been keeping everyone else away.”

He nodded in understanding and thanks, glad that he wouldn't have to deal with any interlopers. If what happened was what he thought had happened, he had to spin things just right. There were some amongst the people who would get quite distraught if he didn't give them something else to think about. Which reminded him, “Have they tried to get in, yet?” He felt certain she'd know what he meant.

She shook her head again. “No, haven't seen them. Should I make them wait out here when they arrive?”

He smiled at the thoughtful question. He could always count on Bathilda to do what he needed her to do and understand the delicacies of the situation. “Yes, please do. I don't know what I'll find in there, and it would be best that they waited until I come out to go in.”

Bathilda gave him a hard little smile of understanding. “Sure thing, Albus.”

The wizard returned the smile and moved past her, going slowly so as to not miss anything that could be important. He took note of the completely destroyed door; it held signs of a powerful blasting curse. On the floor just inside the entryway was the slumped over body of James Potter. His eyes were closed and his chest was gently rising and falling. 'Not dead, then. Pity,' Albus thought to himself. He had been certain that Tom would have finished them off in his attempt on the child. He had been counting on that so that he didn't have any trouble with the next part of his plan.

Stepping over the body, Albus moved next to the stairs. They led straight up to the second floor, no turns or landings. He made short work of them and entered into the upstairs hallway. On either side were doors. Two on the left, two on the right, and one directly ahead. The last door on the right was not the same as the other four. This door was hanging off its hinges and bore the same tell-tale marks of a blasting curse. That was where he needed to go.

Inside the room was a similar scene to the entryway downstairs. On the floor was a slumped over body, eyes closed and chest gently rising and falling. But the main difference in this room was the very-much awake infant in the cot across the room. He wasn't crying or fussing, simply lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling. As Albus got closer, the child's gaze shifted to him.

For all intents and purposes, the child was perfectly fine. He bore no marks of struggle or pain. There were no blemishes on his pale skin. Albus found that quite strange. The prophecy said that the Dark Lord would mark him as his equal. How could that be if there were no marks? He shook his head and left the thought to ponder over later. Right now, he had to move the child to a secure location.

As Albus bent down to pick up the child, a flare of magic lashed out at him. He stumbled backwards in shock. He hadn't been expecting that. Cautiously, he moved closer again. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Slowly, he bent down and attempted to pick up the child. A warning crackle of magic sounded as he got within touching distance. 'So, the boy doesn't like to be touched. We'll just have to work around that.' The old man lifted his wand and cast a non-verbal sleeping spell at the child. If he wasn't awake, he couldn’t lash out. It worked, and he was able to pick up the child without problem. A second later, they were gone.

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Part 2 – Prologue Part 2 – Nov. 1, 1981

It was late and the street was dark. Convincing Sirius Black and Remus Lupin to take their friends to a secure hospital on the continent had taken much longer than he had thought it would. They were full of tears and questions. But a few carefully chosen answers had them seeing reason. Before they departed they asked one more uncomfortable question, to which Albus gave another well-chosen answer. “Harry?” They had asked. “Dead and removed for your benefit,” he had replied. Accepting that as the truth and sparing themselves more pain by not probing deeper, they departed, friends in tow.

And now, in the middle of a Muggle development, Dumbledore was able to do what he felt must be done to insure the defeat of the Dark side. It was a tenuous situation, and if not handled in the right way, they would gain the upper hand and win. He could trust no one to follow his orders in this, trust no one to see how this would play out. So he was alone. He remembered a Muggle phrase that he had always felt rang true: “It's lonely at the top.”

Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts crowding it, he turned his attention to the bundle in his arms. Little Harry Potter was still sound asleep, thanks to his spell. His face was perfectly smooth in sleep, his cheeks faintly rosy, his eyelashes fluttering softly. It was a pity this child's destiny was so big. He would probably buckle under it, though hopefully not before he did what must be done. Running a gnarled finger through the babe's fringe he took one last look at the child savior before turning his face away to look at the house in front of him.

It was a normal house; two floors, four bedrooms, nice lawn. It looked the same as every other house on the block, aside from the color of the paint on its siding. If it were any other family living in this house, the Potter boy would grow up in a nice normal family and have a nice normal childhood. But it wasn't any other family living here. Number 4 Privet Drive was inhabited by a very special family of Muggles. They were related to a very famous witch. And they hated magic. For what Albus had planned, it was the perfect place to leave the son of said witch. He would be kept in check, and learn to keep his head down and his nose clean, always obeying the commands given him. And when the time came for him to fulfill his destiny, he would be ready.

Dumbledore left the child on the cold stoop tucked in a fuzzy blue blanket, sound asleep. It would be some time before the Muggles opened the door and found the child there, but it was a necessary precaution. If someone were to see him leaving the child, especially someone in this neighborhood, things might go off track. Better to do it in the dead of night when all would be asleep. The child would be safe enough until morning.

Bending down, he tucked a note into the child's blanket explaining why he was set on their doorstep. He was the son of the witch that they knew but pretended they didn't. He must be guided with a firm hand. No better people to raise him. If they followed the rules and kept him—alive—they would be compensated monthly for this inconvenience. He was to be another member of their family, not someone special that they had to cater to. No one need know the reason he was there. As long as they didn't do something outrageous, there would never be another person like him arriving at their door.

Albus was sure that the Dursleys would follow his instructions. They hated those people who lived such an abnormal life, and would do anything to avoid having to deal with them. And to make sure that he didn't have to worry about someone else coming in and ruining his plans, before he left Dumbledore made the house and the street unplottable. No one should be able to find the house if they hadn't already been there. No magic would be able to point it out, and no one could find it on a map. Normally, he would have posted a guard to make sure that things went along as they were supposed to. However, he didn't trust anyone but himself to do it, and it would be suspicious if he was found in the middle of a Muggle neighborhood, so he accepted that all would have to be well until he came again.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

When Mrs. Dursley opened the door several hours later to put out the milk bottles, she very nearly screamed. On her doorstep was a small wriggling bundle. At first she thought it was someone's cruel idea of a prank—which she quite abhorred as in her mind, pranks were done by the worst sort of people and required far more imagination than she approved of. However, upon closer inspection she discovered it was not, in fact, some defenseless animal someone had bundled up, but an infant.

She took a step back and turned to look into the house. She was the only one up at this time of the morning, and she wasn't sure if this was a situation worth waking her husband early. The child fussed a bit more, his face finally peeking out of the blanket. He looked up at her with brilliant green eyes, his messy black hair poking out as well. Something about the baby struck her as familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The whole situation seemed much stranger than she liked.

Seeing as the woman standing above him wasn't going to give him attention or food, the infant began to caterwaul. His little eyes scrunched closed and his mouth opened wide. He threw his hands from side to side in a perfect temper tantrum. Not wanting the child to cause a scene, she made up her mind. She'd take him in for the moment, but as soon as he was quiet, he was going to an orphanage. The Dursleys already had one child, they did not need another one.

As she picked up the boy, she felt something with an edge poke her arm. She pulled back the edge of the blanket and saw an envelope. Her interest peaked, she pulled it free so that she could read it once they were inside. Kicking the door closed behind her, milk bottles forgotten, she took the child into the lounge.

The envelope was a think sort of paper, something not found in your ordinary stationary shop. It was sealed with wax, an imprint of a coat of arms in the middle. Quite strange. Throwing caution to the wind for a moment—Vernon wasn't there to tell her not to—she slipped the envelope open. Similar creamy parchment was to be found inside, folded neatly once. She pulled it out and eased it opened to read the looping scrawl. Her face crumpled into a scowl as she read the damning words.

“No,” she said. “I won't do it.”

“Won't do what, Pet?” Her husband asked as he came down the stairs, already dressed for work in a suit and tie.

“Some...freak...left this child on the doorstep. He was squalling and making a scene, I had to bring him in. And then there was this letter. It says we have to keep him, at least if we don't want more of his kind showing up. He says he'll pay us as long as we keep him—alive.” Petunia looked very cross.

And if she looked cross, it was nothing next to the murderous expression on her husband's face. “No, I will not have a freak living in this house. No.”

“Exactly my thoughts, dear. Let's put him out with the trash. Let the rubbish collectors have him.”

“What would the neighbor's think? Leaving an infant in the bin? No, no. We should put him in a box and take him to an orphanage, we should. Leave him there anonymously.”

“Oh, but we can't do it during the day, they'll know it was us. And if that gets back to Mrs. Next-Door, I'll never hear the end of it. We'll go tonight, when it's dark.”

“But what will we do with the freak until then?” Vernon didn't like the thought of leaving something so disgraceful in their home.

“We'll put him in the cupboard. I suppose I can spare something to feed him with so that he stays quiet.”

“But, that food's for Dudley. This little freak doesn't deserve it.”

“Is it better to let him scream the house down?”

“Oh, I suppose not. Fine, but as soon as night falls, he's gone.”

“Agreed.”

If only the Dursleys realized that it wasn't going to be so easy to get rid of the child. Perhaps then, Petunia would have left him on the stoop, damn what the neighbors had to say. But she didn't, and they had put the child in the cupboard, and it couldn't be undone now. They left him there, doing their best to ignore him, and went about their day. And that night, when they tried to get rid of him like they had agreed on, they found they couldn't take him past the doorway to the cupboard. No matter how much they tried, how hard they pulled, the boy refused to budge. So finally, in defeat, they decided that he would stay. But they swore to themselves it wouldn't be a comfortable ride for him, not by a long shot.

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Part 3- Chapter 1 - Jul. 31, 1991

The day dawned just the same as any other. The popinjay's were chattering gaily over fences, a few stray cats were meandering about the street, and everyone knew their place. The occupants of number 4 Privet Drive woke the same as they did every morning. Petunia rose first, quickly and quietly dressed and slipped downstairs to make breakfast. She paused on the stairs the same as she did every morning and listened to the house. Quiet, as it should be.

Moving into the kitchen, she eased out the frying pan from its dresser and set it carefully on the stove. It would do no good to make too much noise in the morning. Vernon got quite cross if his sleep was interrupted before it absolutely had to be.

As the eggs were frying, a large blond child ran down the stairs, jumping up and down in the middle as if it were a trampoline. He laughed loudly and continued down the stairs and into the kitchen. Petunia cringed, worried that the loud noise would wake Vernon before he was ready. When he didn't immediately roar his disapproval, she relaxed.

“Ready for breakfast, my ickle Diddydums?” Petunia crooned to her overweight son. He gave her a happy grin that obviously said, “Food!”

Not long after Dudley raucously descended the stairs, Petunia heard a loud grunt coming from her bedroom. Good, Vernon woke on his own. As soon as he was cleaned and dressed, he also entered the kitchen and sat at the table next to his son. Petunia placed a plate in front of him of eggs and sausages. He took a few bites before grunting again.

“Good nosh, Pet.” Petunia smiled and dished up a plate for herself.

There was no mention of another person in the house. There was no food left over for someone else. The day went on as it always did. But in the cupboard under the stairs was a boy, curled up in a tiny ball in the middle of a grubby mattress. His name was Harry, though that would have been news to him. And today was a special day. Harry turned eleven.

Harry lived a very odd, and very hard life. He'd been living in a cupboard for the last ten years. He'd been beaten when he'd had a bout of accidental magic—that he didn't even know was magic—that'd affected Dudley. He'd been starved whenever he'd done something strange and un-Dursley-ish. And he'd been lied to about who he was.

The Dursleys hated magic, and strangeness, and the mop-haired boy who had his mother's eyes. Petunia could see her blasted sister in the child and she hated it. In an attempt to solve that problem, she simply didn't look at him. He was not allowed to ask questions, or to speak if not spoken to. He was not allowed to cook their food, lest he poison it or sneak more food that he was allowed. He was only allowed to be in his cupboard or in the loo, and even when he was in the loo, he had to leave the door open a crack so that someone could make sure he was not doing something strange in there or breaking anything.

Harry had no freedom, not that he knew the meaning of that word. He hadn't ever gone to school, as it would be more trouble than he was worth to provide his history for his enrollment. He didn't go to the doctor, as it wouldn't do to have anyone asking questions. In fact, he didn't go out at all. For as long as Harry could remember, he had never been outside the four walls of the Dursley house. He didn't know what trees looked like, or how the wind felt on his face, or the smell of fresh-mown grass. Whenever Petunia had to leave the house, she made sure to lock the boy in his cupboard—if he'd been especially well behaved, she'd leave a couple of crusts of bread and a small cup of water for him.

And on this day, his eleventh birthday, he didn't know that it was any different than any other day. He never got the letter that was address to 'Mr. H. Potter, Cupboard Under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.' He had no idea that anyone outside of the Dursleys knew he was alive. He sat in his cupboard whilst the Dursleys went about their business as usual and tried very hard to pretend he didn't exist.

Harry was very different than other children his age. He had no idea that today—July 31, 1991—was his eleventh birthday. He didn't even know he was eleven. He didn't know his name, or where he had come from. As far as he was concerned, his name was "Boy" and he was just someone that the Dursleys had to put up with, but didn't want. He was told that he wasn't related to them in any way. They didn't like him; in fact, they downright hated him. But they wouldn't get rid of him, either. He didn't know why, and he was not allowed to ask. But sometimes he wondered.

For as long as he could remember, he'd had dreams that seemed like things he should remember instead of something his mind created. He dreamt of blinding green light, softly whispered words, and a tall man with dark hair and eyes. He didn't know what this all meant, but sometimes it made him wish he could experience some of it for real—if he could hear that woman whisper to him softly; if he could see that tall man again. He pretended, as quietly as he knew how, that the man and woman were his parents and were thinking of him as he was thinking of them. He wished, as fervently as his little heart could, that one or both of them would come for him so that he didn't have to live like this anymore. But he knew, deep down, that no one would ever come for him. No one even knew he existed.

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Part 4 - Chapter 2 - Sept. 1, 1991

Sitting in her office, a severe-looking woman frowned. Harry Potter hadn't answered the Hogwarts letter that had been sent to him several times during the week leading up to his eleventh birthday. It appeared as though he hadn't received a single one of them. They all returned unopened with extraordinarily confused owls. If the owls couldn't find him to deliver his letters to him, that could only indicate one thing. Something that she didn't want to believe was true.

Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall knew that Harry James Potter had to be alive—his name was still down in The Book. The Book recorded the birth of each and every magical child in England. And if they should die before gaining Hogwarts age, their names were stricken from The Book in red ink. However, Harry's name stood as unmarred as ever.

Minerva now knew that Albus had lied about the death of Harry Potter. In fact, she had known it for years, and had been secretly trying to find the child. She had never let on to Albus that she knew one of his secrets; she simply worked tirelessly to find the poor boy who could be anywhere.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Severus, a frown permanently etched into his dour face, scanned the Great Hall for the Potter brat. He did not see him. He waited for the sorting. His name was not called. Severus found this all quite strange and knew that something was not right.

His Lord had confided in his most trusted servants that on the night of Oct. 31, 1981, he had failed to kill the Potter child. Severus and Lucius, the most lucid and trusted of his followers, were given the task to find out what went wrong. (Poor Bellatrix had got herself incarcerated after she, her husband and her brother-in-law had tortured the Longbottoms for information about the whereabouts of the Potter's son.) And now, on the first night of term, ten years after the child went missing and was claimed deceased, he still hadn't shown up.

Severus was well aware of the procedures for locating the children who were on the list of admittance to Hogwarts. Because he was next in command after Minerva, there were certain procedures he had been made aware of, should anything happen to her. And because of what he knew, he was certain that the Potter boy should have shown up for the first day of term.

Looking over the Head Table, he noticed Minerva's facial expression. A very faint frown marred her mouth, making her look more severe than usual. He could tell instantly that she knew something, something about why Potter wasn't present at the Sorting. And whatever was the cause, she didn't like it. Looking further down the table, he noted the headmaster. Dumbledore, appearing as opposite Minerva as possible, looked as pleased as punch. He wasn't surprised, then, that Harry Potter hadn't showed up for classes. Curious.

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Part 5 – Chapter 3 - Oct. 31, 1991

Voldemort was quite unhappy. He had spent the last ten years searching for the child that had thwarted him. And on the day that he should have finally, finally, made an appearance, he was a no-show. Harry Potter hadn't showed up for any of his classes this term. There had been a brief hope that the child was simply late, and would arrive after some weeks. But that hope was as far-fetched as it sounded.

Severus had been certain, after speaking with that McGonagall woman, that he hadn't even received his letter of admission. Severus was also certain that that bumbling old headmaster had something to do with it.

It was time to get some more information, and if the old fool wasn't going to talk, they'd go about it the hard way. Tonight, one of his pawns—the sniveling Professor Quirrell—was to create a diversion in the castle so that Voldemort could infiltrate Dumbledore's office and locate any information on the boy's whereabouts. Dumbledore had to have something stashed away in his office that would give them some clue as to where to concentrate their search, and tonight was as good as any to start the search.

He managed to slip into the castle through the Chamber quite easily. Thanks to the diversion, he made it silently up to the headmaster's office without a fuss. A simple spell kept the portraits from noticing anything was amiss. Looking around briefly, his eyes zeroed in on the large desk in the center of the room. Bingo. He began rifling through papers piled messily there until he came to a ledger that was deeply buried. It showed all money transfers from the Hogwarts account. It took a few minutes of intense search to find what he had hoped to find. A sum of 1000 Galleons was being transferred to a P. Dursley on the first of every month. Looking back through the register, he could tell that this had been going on for the past ten years.

He flipped the book back to the current month and stared at the entry for another long moment. As he fingered the page, he noticed something odd. Stuck in between the next two pages was a missive written in dainty script on Muggle lined paper. It read: "5000 sterling is no longer enough. Things get more expensive every day and people are starting to ask questions. Send more or the deal's off." It was signed "P. Dursley."

Hearing a noise outside the room, Voldemort quickly put everything back the way he had found it. He looked around quickly to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. A quick disillusionment charm protected him from view, and another flick of his wand dispelled the charm on the portraits. Luckily for him the window was open, which allowed him to slip out. Using a controlled levitation and featherlight charm, he slowly made it to the ground. He got what he had come for. Now, all that was left was to find this P. Dursley. And, judging from the clues he gained tonight, this person was in the Muggle world.

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Part 6 – Chapter 4 - Dec. 21, 1991

It was proving much more difficult that anyone had thought to locate P. Dursley. There were too many Dursleys to count running around the dratted country. Attempting to use spells to locate P. Dursley on a map didn't work. Gringotts was no help, either. They kept all of their client's affairs private and confidential. The goblins didn't care that the money transfer was part of a kidnapping. They weren't going to share who P. Dursley was, or even acknowledge that there was such a person or that such a transfer was being made.

Lucius was doing his best with his Ministry connections to try and find out if this person was truly a Muggle, or if it was a Muggleborn witch or wizard. So far, no one in the magical community was named Dursley at all. It wasn't entirely surprising, however, as too many Muggleborns dropped off the face of the Earth as soon as they had finished schooling, and most of their families wanted to nothing to do with magic.

Severus got the idea—born of frustration as much as anything else—to look into people that Dumbledore might know who would be willing to take in a child and hide him in the Muggle world. Those people would be quite capable of hiding from the Ministry and lying low. The number of Dumbledore's contacts who had any tact or skill for subterfuge was limited. It helped that Dumbledore trusted him implicitly and let leak sensitive information quite often. Running through his mental list, he hit upon his first choice. Arabella Figg, a little-known member of the Order of the Phoenix, was a squib. Since she was not well-known, she might be a good choice to hide something the old codger didn't want anyone to find. She was worth a shot, at least. He contacted her quickly and carefully, but she knew nothing of value. He forbore revealing to much, lest she inform Dumbledore of the conversation.

As far as he could fathom, no one else in the Order would be a very likely choice. Most of them were fairly high-profile witches and wizards. The addition of a child to their families would be noted in most social circles. Also, many of them were very firmly good and would not agree to the kidnapping of a child, even if Dumbledore had sworn it was for “The Greater Good.” He knew that it had to be someone out of the box or Minerva would have found the boy already.

Thinking very hard, he sifted through thoughts and memories, trying to see something, some sort of rhyme or reason to the placing of Potter. If he didn't want someone to find something, he'd put it in the last place they'd assume he would. Someplace that seemed obvious--so obvious that most would discard it as too obvious. They would never bother to check. So he made a list of the people that were too obvious: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Frank and Alice Longbottom...and Petunia Evans. He only added on that bint because she was technically Lily's sister and Harry's only other family. It would be a no-brainer that Dumbledore would put the boy with family, so most people would assume that, because it was so simple, that he wouldn't do it.

Going by process of elimination, he could take away Frank and Alice Longbottom—as they had been tortured by the Dark Lord's followers already—and Sirius Black wouldn't have prevented his godson from going to Hogwarts no matter how dangerous Albus had claimed it. Not to mention the fact that he would be telling everyone who would listen that he had custody of Harry and that the child wasn't dead after all. No, the mutt and the wolf had been told that Harry had died, just like everyone else. It was entirely possible that Lupin could keep his mouth shut about the truth—having had long years of practice hiding his lycanthropy from the world for his own safety—but not the mutt. So, two choices—Remus Lupin and Petunia Evans.

He went to his Lord and presented his thoughts.

"Evans...she's the older sister of Lily Potter, yes? It's been ten years since Lily lost her son...you wouldn't expect her name to still be Evans, would you?" Voldemort asked, as if Severus should have known better.

Honestly, the thought hadn't really occurred to him. His thoughts had been on the werewolf and what he might be able to do with his mouth. But, he took a moment now to think it through. It took much longer than it should have for it to click—P. Dursley. Not P. Evans.

They had a better jumping off point now.

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Part 7 – Chapter 5 - Dec. 22, 1991

Going through the register of Muggles was incredibly tedious, made even more so by the fact that they were doing it mere days before Christmas. They started with the entry on the Evans family from when they were living on Spinner's End. It claimed that Mr. and Mrs. Evans were deceased, and had been for many years. Their youngest daughter, Lily Potter (nee Evans) was missing, and had been for the last ten years. Their oldest daughter, Petunia Dursley (nee Evans) had married Vernon Dursley several years prior, and had produced one child with him, a Dudley Dursley. Searching farther down the entry, they noted that there was no address listed for the family. This confused Severus, as he was fairly familiar with Muggle registers, so the lack of address was odd, and it made Lucius rather irritated.

“Well, what are we going to do now?” Lucius asked, the disgust with the situation plainly evident in his voice.

Severus sneered at Lucius, not appreciating the older man's tone. “We keep looking. Perhaps there will be some information listed in another location.”

“What are you talking about?”

Again, Severus sneered. Lucius could be so dim sometimes. “I am referring to the husband, Vernon. Or perhaps their son. Most registers are not listed solely under one person. We look at the Dursley family, and see if that information is missing as well. If we can't locate information that way, then we will rethink our options at that time.”

It was clear that Lucius wasn't at all certain that this method was going to work, but as he had no other ideas, he was forced to go with it. “If this doesn't work, Severus, then you will be the one to tell our Lord of your failure.”

Severus bowed his head in acquiescence and sifted through the pages of the register to locate other Dursleys.

After several hours of looking through the dusty pages, it was clear that they weren't going to find anything. It was the strangest thing. Each and every entry that referenced either Petunia or Vernon decidedly lacked an address, current or prior. It was as if someone was making sure that those people could not be found. Severus mentally scratched his head in mild confusion. He wasn't sure what to do now.

“Are you prepared to return to the Manor and relate your failure to the Dark Lord? I assure you that he will not be pleased.”

“Come off it, Lucius. You are a part of this, too. I am not the only one who will be a disappointment.”

Lucius bared his teeth for a fraction of a second before regaining his composure. It would do no good attacking Severus for telling the truth. He was a part of this, even if it was not his specialty. They had both been given the task of finding Petunia and the Potter child. One's failure meant both's failure.

The only thing that came out of this search was that they now had an idea of what was going on. Putting the lack of addresses together with their earlier trouble to locate P. Dursley using magic, it was made clear that the house was unplottable, which was awfully strange for the home of a Muggle family. The only one who would have any reason to do so would be Albus Dumbledore.

Severus and Lucius finished putting away the registers and took their leave of the Muggle Archive room. The woman who was in charge of the records had been stunned, so the men disillusioned themselves and woke her up as soon as they were out the door. It took them only moments to apparate back to the Dark Lord's base of operations, which at this moment was Malfoy Manor. Lucius, as Lord of the Manor, could—and did—apparate them directly inside the foyer.

Now that they knew who they were looking for—though could not think of a way to find her—it seemed an impossible feat to swoop in and abduct Potter. They had no idea where the family was, no hints or clues. Lord Voldemort was indeed livid when he was told about this lack of knowledge. If there was one thing he hated in his followers, it was failure. Once again, it would come down to him to solve the problem. He very much disliked having to do everything himself.

Voldemort sat quietly for a time, simply looking at the men—and few women—he had serving under him. They claimed to be the brightest and most connected wizards and witches in England. But here they were, overlooking something so simple. Admittedly, it had taken the Dark Lord himself quite a while to think of it, but honestly, he had a war to fight. He wasn't expected to think of all the little details. That was the job of these people.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Voldemort gathered what little patience he had left after the years of struggle to find the child. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his dark eyes and stared out at his followers.

“You are all intelligent wizards and witches, are you not?”

The mass of people were not quite sure how or even if they were supposed to respond. Only Severus, at his lord's side, dared speak. “My Lord?”

“Severus, I expected more from you.” He looked once more out at the people, giving them an obviously disappointed look. “All of you. What of the letter that had been sent out to Potter earlier this year? Has anyone deemed it worth their time to go and check the address on that letter?”

It was as if a light bulb had gone off in everyone's head at once. Lucius and Severus, more than the rest, felt quite foolish at not having thought of this solution in the beginning. Especially Severus, who knew exactly how new students were contacted, and that Harry was on the list to be contacted.

“My Lord, my deepest apologies for my lack of intelligence. If you would permit me, I shall go at once and speak with Minerva and gain the knowledge that you require.”

“Severus, how can I possibly trust you to complete this task after so many failures?”

The man in question, though he didn't show it, was quite terrified. He knew that he had disappointed his master in the past, but he had thought he'd been forgiven after receiving the proper punishment. He was wrong, and at the most inopportune time.

“My Lord, I will gladly take any punishment you see fit. I only ask that I be given the chance to prove myself.”

Voldemort drew himself up and looked at his Potion Master. Though he was quite disappointed and had said that he doubted his follower's trustworthiness that was not exactly the case. He knew that Severus was loyal to him. He also knew that in some circumstances, failure is the only option when the odds were heavily stacked against them. But it would not do to show weakness in such company. They would turn like wolves and aim to devour him, and many of their fellows in the process.

Raising his wand slowly, he pointed it at Severus and calmly said, “Crucio.” He left the man under the curse for a few seconds, to prove that he was in control, then lifted it and let the man catch his breath. “I do not like failure, Severus. Once more, and you will be begging for death. Go, and return quickly. It has been long enough.”

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Severus quickly made his way back to Hogwarts. He could apparate no farther than the front gates or the middle of the forbidden forest, so he was forced to walk up the long drive to the front steps. Luckily for him, it was late and there were no students milling about to get in his way and slow him down. Unluckily for him, Dumbledore was waiting for him in the Entrance Hall, wanting to know what the latest meeting was about. It was so very tiring trying to prove his loyalty to this man as well as keep him in the dark.

After speaking with the man for nearly an hour, giving him false information and making it seem true, Severus was quite tired. He used that as an excuse to get away from the headmaster. However, instead of heading to his rooms, he stopped in to see Minerva. She was quite shocked to see him at her door so late in the evening, but ushered him in nonetheless.

“What can I do for you, Severus?” She asked, a quizzical look on her face.

Sitting in the proffered chair and taking a sip of the provided tea, he got straight to business. “I need to know what address was listed on the letters sent to Potter. I know, as well as you do, that he is alive somewhere, but I do not believe that he is well. If he were, he'd have received his letters and arrived at the start of term.”

“I would be more than happy to give you that information, Severus, had it ever been in my possession. But, I do not address the letters, and when the owls returned from their aborted delivery, the envelopes held nothing more than Potter's name. Do you not think I would have immediately left for that location had I been privy to it?”

“Of course, Minerva. I had not even thought about the letters myself until it was brought to my attention.”

“Brought to your attention, by whom?” There was a dangerous look of suspicion on the woman's face. Severus knew that he would have to explain everything, and hope that she would still be willing to help—and speak to him—once he was finished.

“As you well know, I still must attend Death Eater meetings. For the last ten years, the Dark Lord has been looking for Potter, not to kill him, but to examine him and find out what went amiss all those years ago. Yes, originally he had planned on killing the child to save himself the same fate. But now, now that he knows that it isn't as easy as all that, he wants to get to know more about the magic the boy wields. And, if I may interject my own opinion, I believe that he is intrigued enough by the boy that, should he even discover the mystery, he still would not wish the boy to die.”

“What makes you say that, Severus?”

“It has been his driving factor for so many years that I do not believe he would know what to do, should Potter not be there anymore. He has devoted so much time and energy on discovering the boy's whereabouts and what happened on that Halloween night that without something—namely Potter—to fill that void, he'd fall apart.”

“Oh, Severus. Do you realize what this means? You have just given us the key to taking down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

“What? No, Minerva, you misunderstand me. He would not cease being a threat, should his pastime be removed. He would simply become a mindless killer, as that is the only other thing that has ever given him pleasure. His sanity would be at an end, but that would make him no less dangerous.”

Realizing that she had been wrong, her face fell. It seemed as though, no matter what they tried, they would not be able to overthrow the Dark Lord. He would never go away.

“Why do you work for him, Severus? If he as bloodthirsty as you say, then why?”

“I understand him, I suppose. He is an obvious master. When he is displeased, there is no question. Your orders are always clear, and you never wonder what to expect from him. All of his machinations are clearly visible and shared with his followers, though some get more information than others. I don't see that with Albus.”

“Albus is not a Dark Lord, Severus. He is the leader of the Light. All he wants is for the people to be free and see evil defeated.”

Severus gave his colleague a sad look, knowing that she was still so deceived. She knew that the headmaster was a liar, but she still trusted him in all other matters. “You are still blinded, Minerva.”

“How can you sit here and insinuate that Albus is even on the same level as...as...HIM! He gave you asylum once you came to him, after you learned about the Potters. He's given you a job, and he trusts you implicitly. And now you are telling me that you don't trust him!”

“Minerva!” Severus said, quite loudly to stop her tirade. “I know him. I've worked with him so closely that I see him for what he is. He manipulates and hides the truth. He never tells anyone anything more than the bare necessities to get the job done. After what he has done with the Potter boy, how can you still trust him?”

“He has never given me reason not to!” Minerva was standing now, her face flushed with anger.

Severus, too, stood and met her word for word. “Never, Minerva? Not when he let no one in to the Potter house the night they died? Not when he told the world that Harry Potter was dead? Not when he sent James and Lily off to the continent so that, should they ever awake, they would not know anything about the fate of their son? You don't find any of that suspicious or worthy of doubt?”

“Fine!” Minerva spat. “Fine, maybe he has done a thing or two that I don't agree with and that I find a bit suspicious. But he is the defeater of Grindelwald. He has saved the whole world from pain and fear and domination. That alone earns him my trust. Albus Dumbledore is a good man.”

“Oh, Minerva...there are no good men, only men who do good deeds. All men are subject to corruption. And don't you think that even your precious Albus Dumbledore could have become corrupted after spending so much time on top? No one questions him. He can do whatever he wants. That kind of power would go to anyone's head.”

“Enough, Severus. Enough. I can't listen to this anymore. You are lucky that I don't want to see the man right now, or I would march straight to his office and tell him what you really are. But, that will not last forever, and you better hope that once I am ready to look him in the eye again that you have done something to put yourself in my good graces. Now, politely remove yourself from my office.”

Holding himself up with the utmost grace, Severus left Minerva's office. Once again, he did not head for his rooms, but instead left the castle from a back courtyard. It didn't take him long to get to the edge of the forest. And, once there, it took him no time at all to move past the anti-apparition wards and return to his true master.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

“My Lord, I am ready for my punishment,” Severus spoke quietly at his master's feet. None of the other Death Eaters were in attendance. Voldemort had sent them away to gather what information they could about the Muggle world. He had a feeling that Severus would fail him in some way, and because he did have some care for the man, did not wish him to be punished in front of everyone.

“Give me your report, and then we will see what needs be done.”

Severus bowed as low as his spine would allow and spoke softly, “Minerva reports that there were no addresses on the returned envelopes, simply Potter's name. I was also forced to explain to her why I was looking for the boy. However, I could not get her to see reason and cease following that fool, Dumbledore. She...had me remove myself from her presence with a threat to out me to the headmaster, though not until she wishes to speak with him again.”

Voldemort held his breath, as well as his anger. He was shocked at Severus' recklessness. The man was normally very tight-lipped about his Death Eater activities, even with other Death Eaters. For him to say so much and risk his position with Dumbledore was a serious matter.

“What, pray tell, possessed you to spout off at the mouth to Minerva McGonagall?”

Severus sighed and knew he was in serious trouble. The Dark Lord's voice was low and cool, devoid of any emotion. “My Lord, I believed that she was of the same mind as myself. I was sorely mistaken.”

“Obviously, Severus!” Voldemort burst out. He could no longer reign in his temper. “You have behaved most idiotically tonight. I warned you what would happen if you failed me again, and this time you have failed most spectacularly. Crucio!” This time the man held Severus under the curse for well over a minute, he was so angry. Finally, however, he released him.

“My Lord, thank you.”

Taken aback, Voldemort looked warily at his servant. “Why?”

“I live to serve you, My Lord. I relish in your punishments when I have wronged you.”

The Dark Lord was now certain that he must have left Severus too long under the curse. His mind was obviously addled. “Go back to the school and rest, Severus. I will call you when I need you.”

“My Lord,” Severus responded, before rising slowly and bowing himself out of the room.

“Lucius!”

It took no more than a second for Lucius to materialize in the room, kneeling before his master. “My Lord?”

Dropping his terrifying mask, he looked frankly at his top follower. “I think I broke him...”

Taking his cue to stand, Lucius too spoke frankly. “Severus? I'm sure he is fine. He's stronger than any of us when it comes to taking punishment.”

“He thanked me for torturing him.”

“Well, that is odd. But, My Lord, he does have a certain...fondness...for you. Even though you had him go to Dumbledore and ingratiate himself, he never stopped being loyal to you. He believes in your vision. He trusts your judgment implicitly. I believe he hates his failures more than you do.”

“Are you trying to tell me that Severus...cares...for me?”

“I doubt it is a romantic feeling, My Lord. But, there is a level of respect that not many of your followers have. Most simply fear you. Severus fears and respects you.”

“Was I...perhaps...too hard on him? This failure was not completely his fault, nor were many of the others.”

“I would not worry about it, My Lord, as he was not afraid or upset at his punishment. He should be fine once he gets rest and a potion for the nerves.”

“I sincerely hope that you are right.” Pausing, the Dark Lord changed the subject slightly. “What should we do now about the Potter boy? We are no closer to finding him than we were before.”

“Well, My Lord, after you sent me away earlier, I looked in the Malfoy Libraries to see if there was anything I may have overlooked before. I happened to find a dark spell that may be useful. I had come across it before, and we might have even discussed it years ago, but never thought too hard on it because of its requirements.”

“Which are?”

“The spell needs an almost unheard of amount of power, the name of the target you wish to find, the rough location of said target, and a fierce determination to find said target. I think that, now we have Petunia's name and a rough location, somewhere around London—Spinner's End is as close as we have come so far—the spell should work.”

“It is definite that I have the power and determination. Let us hope that using Spinner's End as the location works. If not, we may never find the boy, save by sheer blind luck.”

Lucius handed over a crisp piece of parchment that held the spell and instructions that he had copied over earlier. Once it was in his hand, Voldemort stood and made his way to a door hidden in the wall of the drawing room. He'd had it installed a few years back, and only he and Lucius were aware of its existence. Lucius made no move to follow.

“Come along, Lucius. You will see to it that this succeeds. If I alone have not the power to perform this spell, I will use yours.”

The eldest Malfoy took a deep breath and gulped quietly. He sorely wished that his magic would not be needed. But, in all things, he was behind his master. So, he followed with his shoulders squared and head up.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

They were lucky that the spell was not a long one, nor would it take a long time to perform. After a minute or two, they had their answer:

4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey

Neither of them had any idea where Little Whinging or Privet Drive might be. Voldemort conjured a map of Surrey and pored over it, looking for Little Whinging. Lucius stood behind him, quietly, waiting for instructions.

After several tense, quiet moments, Voldemort cursed. “It is not on this map.”

“My Lord?”

“I have found Surrey, and even Greater Whinging. But Little Whinging is not here.”

Lucius moved forward so that he, too, could see the map. He took a few seconds to look where his master was pointing at Greater Whinging and the surrounding area. Little Whinging was not to be found. “I am sorry, My Lord. I do not know enough about Muggle areas to solve this problem. Perhaps, if I may suggest, once Severus had recuperated, we may ask him his opinion. He did live in the Muggle world as a child.”

“As much as I am loath to admit it, you are correct that we must wait to act on this. None of my other followers can know this information, not that it would make much of a difference, as they are so pureblooded that they would know even less than you.”

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Part 8 – Chapter 6 – December 24, 1991

Severus was finally feeling well enough to be pulled back to Malfoy Manor and his position as trusted follower to Dark Lord Voldemort. He arrived on Christmas Eve, bearing gifts for the Malfoys as well as one for his master—knowledge.

“Severus, what do you know?” Voldemort was growing quite impatient and simply wanted answers.

The dour man sank to his knees and bowed to his master, letting the gifts he brought sit on the floor beside him. They could wait until after this meeting to be passed around. After waiting the requisite amount of time in his bow, Severus looked up and answered his master.

“Little Whinging is not far from Spinner's End. It is only a few hours west from London, in the northeast corner of Surrey. I can get us into Little Whinging, but beyond that, I have no knowledge of Privet Drive or its location in Little Whinging. It is my opinion that a small group of people go in and search for the street on foot. It should not take long, as I don't believe Little Whinging is very large.”

“Fine. Then Lucius, you, and I will go at once.”

“Very well, My Lord. Though, if I may be so bold, I believe a change of attire would not go amiss. Little Whinging, from what I can remember, is a very Muggle area. Our cloaks and robes would stick out, and if Albus has any spies in the area, we would be outed immediately.”

“How astute of you, Severus. I am glad you have finally decided to stop failing me. Go, work with Lucius on our attire while I decide what to do once we arrive at our destination.”

“Yes, My Lord. As you wish.”

Ten minutes later and all was ready. Severus and Lucius had transfigured their robes into Muggle business suits, and Voldemort had decided that once they found Potter, they would remove him from Petunia's care and bring him back to the Manor. Voldemort had even had one of Malfoy's elves set up a room for the child directly next to the Dark Lord's own so that he could keep an eye on the child.

The trio apparated into a back alley in Little Whinging. They didn't really know where they should start, as that had not been a part of the discussion earlier. Lucius was the one who came up with the idea to look for schools. It only followed, according to him, that if the Dursleys had a child, the child must attend school. He felt the chances were fairly good that they would live a relatively small distance from the school, as Muggles couldn't apparate or fly to make the trip faster. Severus found a telephone box and used the directory inside to locate the schools.

There was only a single primary school in Little Whinging. It was located near the center of town, on Zinnia Place. There was also only one secondary school-- Stonewall Comprehensive. Stonewall was listed as located on the other side of town from the primary school, on Marple Road. The three men decided that the family would probably live closer to the primary school than the comprehensive, as they had moved to Little Whinging before their son was born. Severus did note that, not far from Little Whinging, there were two boarding schools. One went by the name of St. Brutus' School for Incurably Criminal Boys, and the other, Smeltings. However, as the schools were of the boarding variety, they did not worry about the distance, so left them for last to check.

They went to Zinnia Place first and looked at the surrounding streets. To the east was Magnolia Road, to the south was Wisteria Walk, and to the West was Willow Court. Lord Voldemort decided to take the West. Lucius decided to take the South and Severus was left with the East. Voldemort found nothing in his fifteen minute search of the surrounding streets. Lucius also turned up with nothing on his search south. Severus, however, found a lovely play park and a street that's sign simply said "Drive", as if the rest had been erased. He sent his Patronus to the other two and told them he might have found something. They all met up on the mysterious "Drive".

Lucius thought that perhaps the family lived to the north of the play park. Severus and Lord Voldemort decided that they'd check south, just to be sure. The blond man went several streets north before he realized that all of the house numbers were increasing, and the lowest he'd seen was twenty. Severus and Voldemort had much better luck. It took them only two streets down to find number 5 "Drive". On the other side of number 5 was number 3. And on the other side of three was number 1. Voldemort was a bit confused at first, thinking that not only was number 4 missing, but so was 2. Severus was the one who informed him how homes were numbered. The odd numbers were on the right, while the even were on the left. And lo and behold, directly across the street from 5 was 4.

They knew they had the right street, despite the lack of name, once they took a good look at the front of the house. The house itself was of an average size, but what caught their attention was the fact that it had a neatly manicured lawn and hedges of privet—just like every other house on the street. There wasn't a car in the drive, but there were a few lights on in the house.

The two waited for Lucius to find them before disillusioning themselves and sneaking up on the house. They peaked through the front window into the lounge. Through the window they could see a tall, horse-faced woman sitting on the sofa watching the telly. Severus recognized the grown-up form of “Tuny” instantly. She laughed several times at whatever program she was watching, her eyes never leaving the screen. They watched her for several moments, and before long, she moved. Craning her head around, she yelled angrily at something behind her. They looked over her shoulder and could just make out the doorway that led to the hall, but nothing was there. They couldn't hear anything in the house, either, so assumed it must be a dog or something getting into things.

After watching her for several more moments and finding nothing else interesting going on, Severus suggested simply going up to the door and asking after the boy. It would be the quickest way to find out if the boy was there or not. Lucius advised caution. What if she told them she didn't have the boy and alerted Dumbledore that they had been there? While they were discussing the best course of action, Voldemort had decided to do things his way. He was, after all, in charge.

He left the two men bickering under the window and snuck into the house. He could now hear the telly in the lounge and the sounds of something rummaging around in the kitchen. From upstairs he could hear rather loud snores. As he moved farther into the house, he could hear what he thought were soft sobs coming from under the stairs where a locked cupboard as located. Keeping some of his senses alert to the sounds of anyone else moving nearer him, he crept forward to just before the door.

Once he was even with the vent in the door, he whispered, "Hello?"

The sobs stopped at once and there was the sound of scrabbling, as if the person inside the cupboard was trying to get away from the door. Voldemort took that as confirmation that he had indeed heard something worth noting. He settled himself more firmly on his haunches and aimed his wand at the door so that he could unlock it. The lock clicked, so Voldemort replaced his wand with his empty hand and reached for the handle of the cupboard door. As the door opened a crack and a thin shaft of light eased into the room, the boy let out a frightened whimper. The noise, while soft, was still loud enough to attract Petunia's attention.

"Quiet, Boy, or you won't get a single crust tonight!"

Voldemort was angry at this. Sure, he was a bloodthirsty megalomaniac sometimes, but even he wasn't depraved enough to starve an innocent child for doing nothing more than being frightened. He dispelled the disillusionment charm so that Harry wouldn't be even more frightened when the door opened and no one was there.

Easing the door fully open, he sat quietly and gave the child time to look at him. It was almost comical how wide the child's eyes went as he fully took in the sight of the man before him.

"Daddy?" the boy whispered. The man before him looked exactly like the man from his dreams, the one with dark hair and eyes.

Now it was Voldemort's turn to widen his eyes comically. So, the boy thought he was his father. He wondered what these Muggles had told him. Deciding to leave that thought for later, he held out his hands to the child. When the boy merely looked at him quizzically, he said softly, "It's alright. I won't hurt you." Those were apparently the magic words as Harry threw himself into the arms of his savior. The child cried brokenheartedly, as if this simple action caused him physical pain. The increase in noise caused Petunia to mutter loudly to herself. Voldemort could hear her getting up and moving nearer. Even the noise in the kitchen changed, though the snores from upstairs continued on uninterrupted.

"I thought I told you to quiet, Boy! You're in for it now." As Petunia rounded the door to the lounge, she caught site of the pale man holding on to her nephew, who was crying. "Who...who are you? You don't belong here! Out, get out of my house!"

Voldemort drew himself up with the child in his arms and hissed at the unattractive woman, "Like you could stop me from doing as I please."

At that moment, Severus and Lucius entered the house. "Oh, Tuny, you look as awful as ever."

"You!” She pointed a shaking finger at Severus. “You're that awful boy who was always hanging around my sister.” She turned frightened and disgusted eyes on each man in front of her. “All of you...you're that way, aren't you? He promised! He swore in that dratted letter that if we only kept him alive, that no more of you...you...freaks...would show up!"

Lucius didn't fancy being screamed at by an ugly Muggle, so he stunned her. He quickly noticed a fat child standing in the doorway to the kitchen and stunned him, too. Wouldn't do to have him interfering. And through it all, the snores continued.

Harry lifted his tear stained face from its place on Voldemort's shoulders and looked at him with wet eyes. "Whadjoo do those people? They dead?"

"No, they are simply sleeping. Your Aunt didn't want us to be here, or to take you away from them, so we had to make her sleep so we could get you to safety," Voldemort replied.

Harry shook his head slowly, though the men weren't sure what he was denying. "She not my Aunt. Told me so. I not related to them at all. I nobody." His voice was incredibly soft and slightly hoarse, as if he didn't use it much, and never spoke very loudly. Severus, as well as Lucius, noted that the child didn't speak as if he were eleven, but more like he were four or five.

The three men could feel their hearts being affected by this sad little boy. Voldemort could feel himself softening, and it made him feel uncomfortable. "We'll talk about it once we get you cleaned up and fed. Okay, Harry?"

"Who Harry?" Harry asked after looking around for a moment, his head tilted in question.

Voldemort wrinkled his brow in confusion. "You are." He couldn't fathom why Harry would ask such a question. Surely he knew his own name?

"My name Boy. Told me so."

Severus smiled sadly at the small child. Even for eleven, he was terribly tiny. He looked as though he hadn't had a proper meal his entire life and wasn't composed of more than skin and bones. "You don't have to worry about what that woman said ever again. She lies. She always has."

"You know her?" Harry clapped a hand over his mouth and looked down, terrified that he'd get hit for asking a question. "I sorry. I not s'posed to ask questions. I sorry, I not mean it. Please, I sorry..."

The three men looked at each other and nodded almost imperceptibly. Something had to be done about the boy's mental state. None of them wanted to see him this broken, even Voldemort, who had wanted him dead at one point. Taking a second to reassure the boy and quiet his crying, they then took him back to Malfoy Manor.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Once back at the Manor, Harry had been cleaned up and fed a small dinner and some nutrient potions before being bundled in bed. His room had been hastily redecorated by the house elves so that it was as opposite the cupboard they found him in as possible. His room was still situated right next to that of the Dark Lord. Severus, after finishing assisting the Dark Lord with Potter, left for his own rooms just down the hall. Lucius had long since left to spend the remainder of the evening with his wife and son who were in their own wing of the manor.

Voldemort was the last left in the room with Harry. He sat next to the boy on the bed who looked much too small, buried under all of the blankets. Harry looked up at him and chanced asking softly, "Daddy? Where mummy?"

Earlier, as they had been cleaning the boy up, Severus and Voldemort had told Harry over and over that it was okay to ask questions, that they wanted him to ask questions. At first, he shook his head and trembled, wondering if they were lying to him so that they could hurt him more. It had taken him hours to get at all comfortable with the idea, but his need to please the people taking care of him slightly outweighed his fear of asking questions.

Voldemort debated with himself on whether or not he should tell the boy that he wasn't his father. If he told the truth, then perhaps the boy wouldn't care for him as much and would want to be with his parents--who would never let their son be around the person who tried to kill him and sent them into a magical coma. But, if he lied, the boy might get angry if he ever found out the truth.

Though, thought Voldemort, James and Lily were still in a coma...and no one else knew where the boy was... No, it would be best to tell a half-truth. Confide that he wasn't the boy's father, but a caring Uncle instead. Yes, that would be better than telling the whole truth or an outright lie.

"Harry, I'm afraid I've let you think something that wasn't entirely true for too long."

The boy's brow wrinkled in confusion, much like Voldemort's had done earlier in the day. "Huh?"

"I let you believe that I am your father... And, I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not."

Harry's brow wrinkled further, making him look a bit like a confused shar pei. "But...I 'member you...from a long time ago...I 'member the lady who said the soft words, and I 'member you, standing by me when I was a baby...a'fore the green light was all over. I 'member you was there..."

Voldemort inwardly cringed. This might be more complicated than he thought. 'Quick, lie a little more.' His conscience whispered. "Well, Harry, you're right that I was there. Your mother and father fell into a deep sleep that they couldn't wake from, and I tried to take care of you. But a very bad man took you away and hid you with your Aunt and Uncle. He made it very hard for anyone to find you...I've been looking for you for the last ten years."

Harry looked more confused than ever. He didn't fully understand everything that the tall man was saying, but he was trying. Most of the time, when people talked to him, they didn't use big words. Voldemort was worried he might hurt himself if he frowned anymore.

"So...if you not my daddy, who is?"

Voldemort couldn't help but give a small smile at the childish way Harry spoke. "His name is James Potter. You're named after him. Your full name is Harry James Potter. Your mother is Lily Potter. Her sister is that mean woman you had been living with. When your parents fell into that deep sleep, the bad man sent them away and told their two best friends that you were dead so they wouldn't look for you. But I knew the truth, and Severus and Lucius and I have been searching for you ever since."

"Why he do som’thin’ so bad?"

"Because he likes to be in control. He wants you to do something very bad for him, and he thought that by hiding you away, he could have you all to himself when he was ready for you to do that bad thing. But you don't have to worry now. We won't let anything bad happen to you."

"If you not my daddy, and Mr. James is...then who you?"

Voldemort smiled wider—a rare sight for anyone other than Severus or Lucius, and even they hadn't seen it much in the last ten years. "You could say that I'm like an Uncle. While I'm not directly related to you by blood or marriage, I care for you as if you were family. Severus is...well, almost like a son to me. And he was a very good friend of your mother's. So, it's almost as if we are related, you see?"

Harry didn't see, but he thought it probably wasn't that important. "Ok."

It was obvious to Voldemort that Harry was simply humoring him, but he felt that it wasn't terribly important to point that out to the boy. "Do you have any more questions, Harry?"

"Will I ever see mummy and daddy?"

"I really don't know. I don't know where the bad man sent them, but I can ask Severus to look into it for you."

"Thank you Mr...um...what your name?"

Voldemort paused for the briefest of moments to think. Uncle, for certain, but Uncle what? Not Uncle Voldemort...that was just too strange. Definitely not Uncle Tom...there was a Muggle book with a similar name, and he was definitely not an aged colored man... Ah, Uncle Marvolo...that would do nicely. "You may call me 'Uncle Marvolo'."

"'Kay, Uncle 'Volo."

Voldemort gave another faint smile at the shortening of his name, but didn't complain. In fact, it was quite...cute. Deciding that Harry had enough excitement for one day, and the next was Christmas—which was sure to overstimulate him enough—'Uncle Marvolo' got up and kissed the child on his unruly black hair. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Night, Uncle 'Volo," Harry responded, closing his eyes and quickly falling asleep.

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Part 9 – Chapter 7 - Dec. 25, 1991

Christmas morning was a fairly happy affair. Draco was the first one downstairs. He was happily sitting in front of the tree, eagerly awaiting his parents and their guests arriving so that he could open his presents. Under the tree were six small piles of gifts, though there were two piles that were a bit bigger than the rest. Draco was contemplating the various piles when the first adults came downstairs. Lucius and Narcissa were visions in their formal attire. Lucius was wearing pale silver robes. Narcissa's gown was an icy blue that complimented the silver quite nicely. Draco felt a little underdressed in his dark grey silk pajamas. His parents nodded to him and sat on a settee a small ways behind Draco. Next, Severus entered the room in his typical black robes. Even if it was a holiday, he felt no need to dress differently. Finally, Voldemort and Harry came downstairs. Harry, being too unsteady on his feet due to his malnutrition and lack of exercise recently, was being carried by the tall, dark-haired man. He was in emerald green silk pajamas, whilst his "Uncle Marvolo" was wearing attractive black robes—they were similar to Severus', but much better quality.

Once everyone was seated in the drawing room, Draco looked questioningly at his parents. They shared a reserved smile and nodded ever-so-slightly. Draco's smile widened and he looked at each pile. The one on the farthest left went to his godfather. He handed the presents to Severus and went back to the remaining piles. The next pile was for Lord Voldemort. He handed the pile over without meeting the man's eyes. Next was one of the larger piles of gifts. The presents were all labeled "To Harry". He figured that must be the boy sitting on the Dark Lord's lap, so he handed him the larger pile of gifts. The boy's eyes widened and he stammered out, "Th-thank you." The adults all let out soft chuckles. Draco shrugged and went back to the gifts. The next pile was also a bit larger than the rest. It was his, so he moved them away so that he could give his parents the last two piles.

Once everyone had their gifts, they began to open their presents. Everyone except Harry, of course, who had never had gifts before and therefore didn't trust that he was truly allowed to open them without be told to. He left his presents sitting next to him and watched to see what everyone else received.

Severus received a few potions journals that he'd been eying for some time, a sterling silver stirring rod made by a very famous silversmith in Bulgaria, and a heavy new winter cloak from Draco. Harry felt bad that he wasn't able to get the man who was his mother's best friend anything.

Draco received many cool presents, Harry thought. From his godfather, he received a new gold cauldron and some rare potions ingredients. His parents bought him a crystal dragon figurine and expensive new dress robes in all of his favorite fabrics. And Voldemort gifted him the latest broom, something called a Nimbus 2000. Draco was quite happy with his haul and got up to swiftly hug each person, though he only shook the Dark Lord's hand and skipped over Harry, since the boy hadn't gotten him anything. Harry felt bad once again since he hadn't contributed, and the fact that Draco had blatantly skipped over him hadn't made him feel any better.

Lucius and Narcissa opened their presents together. Lucius received opal cufflinks from his wife, a Felix Felicis potion from Severus, a snake-head walking stick/wand holder and brown leather diary from the Dark Lord, and a set of black acromantula-silk hair ribbons from his son. Narcissa received a lovely opal cocktail ring from her husband, a specially brewed perfume from Severus that makes one's suggestions more alluring, an opal necklace from her son, and a heavy locket with a large silver 'S' emblazoned on the face of it from the Dark Lord.

“Keep them safe,” was all Voldemort said by way of explanation for his gifts.

Finally, it was the Dark Lord’s turn. From Lucius he received a thick text on soul magic, a tome he didn't already possess and hadn't see in the Malfoy library. From Narcissa he received a rather expensive-looking ring in the shape of a serpent imbued with protective charms and an emergency portkey. Severus had brewed him a special variation on Veritaserum that caused the drinker to forget everything he had said under the potion's effects—it also happened to be undetectable in the drinker's system. Draco hadn't been sure what to get for the Dark Lord who had everything, so he had searched for days for something that seemed as if it would work. In a hidden nook in the Slytherin common room, he had found a book written by Salazar Slytherin in a funny language that looked like something a snake would write—if a snake could write. The Dark Lord was quite pleased with everything he had received. The only person who hadn't opened his presents now was Harry.

The messy-haired child looked rather sheepish when everyone turned their gaze to him. He fidgeted for a moment before saying, "But, I not give an’thin’...’nd you dun know me...’nd I not been good...I not deserve gifts..."

The look on Draco's face said he frankly agreed wholeheartedly and would be more than happy to relieve Harry of his gifts. He even began leaning forward a bit when Lucius used his new cane to prod his son in the back so that he would wipe the look off his face. Draco turned to look at him a moment before settling back and trying to be still and patient.

After dealing with his son, he addressed Harry. "Harry, we had time to get you things, and we wanted to. You didn't know you'd be meeting new people at all, so it's understandable that you couldn't have bought us anything. It's okay. You may open your gifts."

"But...I never gotted gifts a’fore..."

Severus responded this time, mildly irritated. "There is a first time for everything. Go on, before you insult everyone who thought enough of you to choose something."

Harry hated disappointing people, and desperately didn't want to be rude or insult someone. He picked up the smallest gift first. Inside was a photo album. It was full of pictures of people he didn't recognize. Under one picture of a red-haired woman and a black-haired man was the caption: Lily and James Potter - Expecting. So, these people were his parents. He didn't know what the word "Expecting" meant, but he felt as though it didn't matter. For the first time he had a face to go with those soft whispers he remembered. He was so engrossed in looking at the pictures that he had forgotten he had other gifts. The others waited patiently for him to come back to himself. The adults realized how hard this must be on him, having been neglected all his life then taken away from the only place he'd ever known and thrust into a strange situation. The Dark Lord had informed Narcissa of Harry's past ten years and some of the things that the Dursleys had done to him.

Draco, however, wasn't good at being patient. After a few minutes, he began to fidget. His father prodded him with his cane again. He stopped moving at once, though Lucius and Narcissa could see the effort it took him. Lucius had to remember to thank the Dark Lord for the gift; it came quite in handy.

Finally, Harry came out of his thoughts and blushed as he realized that everyone was still watching him. He softly apologized and set the album aside. Next was a squashy package. He opened it to find a rather ragged looking teddy bear inside. He tilted his head slightly to the side and appraised the old toy.

Voldemort answered the unasked question "It was yours, when you were a baby. It was found in your house."

Harry blushed again and held tightly to the bear, trying to remember it. He had a faint feeling that it had been in his crib with him when the green light flashed, but he couldn't get a clear lock on it. He smiled and said, "Thanks, Uncle 'Volo."

Everyone present was shocked at the name Harry had called the Dark Lord, except the Dark Lord himself. "You're welcome, Harry."

The next present was a rather large fuzzy blanket with a coat of arms in the middle and four different colors around the edges. On one side was a blue background with a bronze eagle in the middle of it. Next to that was a scarlet background with a golden lion rampant in the middle. Then was a yellow background with a badger, and finally was an emerald green background with a silver snake. The coat of arms in the middle had the same four animals and a large H in the middle of it. Under the coat of arms was a ribbon bearing the words: “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titilandus.”

He smiled brightly and hugged the blanket to himself. It was warm, the warmest thing he'd ever owned. "Thank you," he said to the air, not knowing who gave it to him.

Lucius and Narcissa both responded "You are quite welcome."

The next package was a broom just like Draco's. Harry had never seen a broom before, but judging from Draco's earlier reaction, this one must be nice. He smiled, set the broom aside, and attempted to pick up the last present. It was a very large box, at least by Harry's standards. Inside were several different colored robes. Some were emerald green like his pajamas, and some were scarlet like that part of the blanket that had the lion on it, and some were black like Uncle Severus' eyes. And at the very bottom of the box was a handsome-looking cloak. It too was black, but it had dark sable fur around the hood and front edging. The bottom was hemmed with the same color satin. It was probably the most expensive piece of clothing he would ever own. He was so happy and surprised it rendered him speechless. Severus, Narcissa and Lucius all said, "You're welcome, Harry," softly so that he would know they were the ones who had done this for him.

Voldemort gave the boy a soft smile and held him a bit closer to his chest. He whispered in his ear, "Later, we'll get a tailor to measure you for some more comfortable clothing."

Harry's eyes opened wide and he turned to look at the man he was sitting on. He didn’t know what a tailor was, but he knew that he didn’t deserve new clothes. He hadn’t been a good boy in a long time. "New clothes? Why?"

He frowned down at his young charge. "We can't allow you to continue wearing those rags you came in. They aren't fit for a house elf. You must have something befitting a nephew of mine."

Harry looked cowed at once. He didn't want to embarrass anyone. "Of course, Uncle 'Volo."

O_O_O_O_O_O

"So, is the Dark Lord really your uncle?" Draco asked later when Harry and Draco were alone upstairs, giving the adults time and space to discuss matters. The blond boy wasn’t sure how he felt about this new boy, but there was just something about him that rubbed the older boy the wrong way. He had to get to the bottom of his presence in the manor.

Harry wasn’t sure that he liked being alone with this boy called “Draco.” He sort of reminded him of his cousin who hadn't ever been very nice to him. Uncle ‘Volo thought it was okay, though, so he wasn't going to complain. 

"No. He said we like family. Sev’rus like his son. Sev’rus mummy’s friend.”

"Oh, okay." Draco wasn't sure what to say to that. He didn’t see how Severus being this boy’s mum’s friend made them family. And since when did the Dark Lord see Severus as his son? That was a though for another time, though. He still needed to unearth the truth of the boy’s presence. “Why are you even here?”

Harry didn’t know why the other boy kept on asking him questions. It seemed like the boy didn’t like him. He was used to people not liking him, though. So as to keep the boy from getting angrier, Harry answered quietly, “Keep me safe.”

“Safe from what?” Draco was getting annoyed. Getting answers from this kid was like pulling teeth.

Harry was starting to feel scared. The boy seemed so angry. Was he going to hit Harry? Harry didn’t want to get hit again. Uncle ‘Volo promised to keep Harry safe. But Harry didn’t have an answer for Draco. If he didn’t answer, he was sure he’d get hit. His cousin always hit him, whether he answered or not. “Dunno.”

“Why do you speak like a baby? Don’t you know how to speak properly?” Draco was disgusted to see someone seemingly his own age acting so childishly. His patience was all but gone. He wanted answers, but this kid seemed way too stupid to give them to him.

“No.” Harry wasn’t sure what he should say anymore. Draco seemed so angry. Harry wanted to crawl in a ball and make himself small. He wanted the safety of his cupboard, or Uncle ‘Volo. But, since he didn’t have his cupboard, and Uncle ‘Volo was busy, and Harry didn’t know what else to do, he started to cry. At first, they were just silent tears coursing down his face. After a moment, they turned into full blown sobs.

Draco was taken aback. He was not expecting Harry to burst into tears. Draco looked around frantically, making sure none of the adults had come back yet. He knew for sure that if they came in and found Harry crying, they would blame it on him. And Draco hadn’t done anything wrong. He was just asking questions. He hadn’t hurt the boy, or threatened him in any way. He had to get Harry to stop crying, the sooner the better.

“Harry, stop crying this instant. You are not a baby, so stop acting like one!”

At the sound of the harsh words, Harry started crying harder, if that was even possible. He was so scared, so afraid of being hurt, of this big place, of these new people. He just wanted the place he knew, the people he knew. They might not have been nice to him, but he always knew what to expect from them. He knew they would hit him. He didn’t have to sit there and wonder when they would explode in rage. But these new people were different. They said they wanted to keep him safe. They said that they wanted to help him. But surely they would hit him sometime. He was a bad boy. He deserved to be hit. He was nobody.

When Harry didn’t stop crying, and instead the cries got louder, Draco knew there was nothing else he could do. He could keep trying, but it didn’t seem to be working. He could leave the room, leave Harry to cry on his own, and hide in his room, hoping his parents wouldn’t come looking for him. But he knew that wouldn’t really work. Inevitably, someone would come after him, if only to get answers. And inevitably, this whole mess would be blamed on him. He shuddered at the thought of the displeased look on the Dark Lord’s face. He’d be on the receiving end of a crucio for sure.

It didn't take long for the commotion to reach the adults downstairs. Voldemort was the first to reach the room. He entered regally and saw Draco sitting in front of Harry, a look of worry and annoyance on his face. Looking at his new nephew, he noticed Harry was curled in on himself and sobbing brokenly. Harry had been the source of the loud noise that interrupted the conversation downstairs. Sparing a moment to wonder what could have happened to make the boy cry so loudly, Voldemort took a deep breath to center himself. He’d deal with Draco later. Immediately, he went to the boy and gathered him up in his arms.

"Shhh, Harry. It's okay, now. Shhh. I'm right here, no need to worry. You're okay." It seemed that the soothing whispers were doing the trick.

As the other adults made it into the room, they saw Draco worrying his bottom lip, wringing his hands and pacing, his eyes trained on Harry and the Dark Lord. Narcissa walked over to her son and took his chin in her firm grasp. "What happened, Draco?"

"We were just talking..." He wouldn't meet his mother's stern gaze. He knew that he hadn’t really done anything wrong, but he also knew that regardless of that fact, he’d be blamed.

"About?" His father asked.

"Just stuff. Nothing, really. I asked him about his relationship with the Dark Lord, and why he was here..." Draco fidgeted in his mother's grip and tried to look down at the floor. He didn’t know why everyone was making such a big deal out of this new boy. What was so special about him that everyone made such a fuss? He was just a scrawny little kid who didn’t know how to speak properly, and somehow wormed his way into the Dark Lord’s good graces. Draco certainly never had the Dark Lord fawning over him in this manner. Not once in all of his eleven years.

Fortunately for Draco, neither elder Malfoy noticed the negative emotions in their son’s eyes. If they had, he’d have been taken to task immediately. As it was, they were very disappointed that their son couldn’t speak with Harry without making the younger boy cry. Their Lord was still cooing softly to the boy to get him to calm down.

The two adult Malfoys sighed as Narcissa let go of her son. "You must now realize that you cannot speak to Harry in the same way that you would one of your other friends? Harry is special, and has been through a lot. He needs time, and space, and a gentler hand than you are used to using.”

"Yes, mother.” He paused and fully trained his eyes on the ground for a moment. After a few heartbeats, he gathered some courage and tried looking into her face again. “I did try to get him to stop crying, but it wasn't helping. He just kept on wailing, no matter what I said to him. What is wrong with him?”

"As I said, Harry has been through a lot," Narcissa began.

"You need not know more than that," Lucius added.

After staying near the door and observing the situation, Severus decided that it might be time for him to act. Draco had been taken to task for his part in causing Harry’s distress, and the Dark Lord still had not gotten Harry to fully calm. The sobs had died down, but the tears were still coming, and the boy was clutching the Dark Lord as if he would disappear.

"My Lord, should I retrieve a calming draught?"

Voldemort whispered another soft word to Harry before turning his attention to his most loyal follower. He, too, could see that Harry wasn’t going to fully calm on his own. Whatever had taken place during his and Draco’s conversation was apparently upsetting enough that the boy was stuck in a loop, memories plaguing him. "Yes, Severus. I'll take him to his room. Meet me there once you have it. A nutrient potion too, I think. He's still much too thin and hasn't eaten yet today."

"Of course, My Lord," Severus bowed and hastened out of the room.

Draco watched the Dark Lord carry Harry to his bedroom down the hall. The thought of all of the coddling the brat was getting was really getting on Draco’s last nerve. Here was this little nobody, sneaking into his house, ruining his Christmas, getting him in trouble for no good reason. It wasn’t fair! It wasn’t right! Draco vowed that he would get to the bottom of this mystery called “Harry.” He’d find out why the boy got so much attention. And if it wasn’t a good enough reason, he’d convince everyone they should just dump the kid somewhere. Eventually, they’d see. Harry didn’t deserve all of their attention, their consideration. Draco was much more deserving. At least he knew how to speak properly.

As soon as the Dark Lord and Harry left the room, the two elder Malfoys turned to their son. They gave him a pointed look, reminding him to be on his best behavior, and left the room. Draco, too, left the play room that he and Harry had been left in not so long ago. It would probably be for the best that he stays in his room until it was time to gather for lunch.

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Part 10– Chapter 8 - June 5, 1992

It was hard for Harry to adjust to life in the Manor. Draco still made Harry think of his cousin. Harry still wasn’t fully convinced that none of the adults were going to hit him, or lock him in a cupboard like his Aunt and Uncle had. But Lord Voldemort did his best to assuage Harry’s fears, and Draco mostly stayed away from Harry.

After the New Year, Draco went back to school. Harry didn’t really notice much of a difference, since he hadn’t really seen much of Draco, and after that first disastrous conversation, they hadn’t spoken to each other. Lucius had business to attend to, so was gone much of the time. Narcissa had many social functions that she attended and hosted, making her also unavailable. Voldemort, however, made sure that he spent time with Harry every day.

In the mornings, before he had to run off to death eater meetings, Voldemort worked with Harry on many things the boy seemed to struggle with. They began with speaking lessons, fixing Harry’s childlike speech. After that was tackled, they worked on Harry’s knowledge of the wider world. Because the boy had so much to learn, it was slow going. Harry knew very little. Everything he knew came from the things he heard in his family’s house. And it became abundantly clear quite quickly that they never explained anything to their unwanted nephew. Voldemort, realizing that the few hours he could spare every day were not enough to fully tackle Harry’s education, enlisted the help of one of Lucius’ house elves.

Dobby was more than happy to help serve Lord Voldemort. He was one of the few humans who wasn’t cruel to the house elves. Dobby found many books to help Harry learn. First, books on how to read. Then books on colors, shapes, animals, and other things children usually learn by the time they are five. By the time that summer rolled around and Draco was due to return from school, Harry had learned much of what he should know at the age of eleven. At least the things about the world. His school learning hadn’t been addressed, as both Lord Voldemort and Dobby knew they didn’t have enough time to teach the boy everything.

At first, Harry wasn’t sure what to make of his lessons. His family never took the time to teach him anything. But Harry liked spending time with his Uncle ‘Volo, and with the curious creature they called “Dobby.” Even if learning was a new experience, and wasn’t always easy, Harry thought that he could really grow to like it. And Harry thought that he could really come to like this place and these people. They were nice to him. They fed him. And they were teaching him things.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Draco came home that afternoon looking a bit tired, but terribly excited. It was his twelfth birthday, and he'd had permission from the Headmaster to come home for the day to spend it with his family. He had arrived just after lunch, so they went into the dining room and had his cake first. It was a monstrous confection of chocolate and raspberries and cream. Everyone had a small slice, save Draco, who insisted upon a sinfully large piece with his name on it. After everyone had finished their cake and made sure none had found its way onto their faces, Draco moved into the drawing room to open his presents. This time, Harry didn't feel bad while watching Draco open his gifts. Uncle Marvolo had shown him a catalogue that he could buy a present out of, and had given him the money with which to buy it.

When Draco got to his gift, the blond's face lit up like Christmas morning. Inside the modest package was a platinum serpent. It was just a bit longer than the distance from his elbow to the tip of his longest finger. The length wasn't immediately apparent, however, as it was coiled around itself. Each scale was intricately carved into the metal so that it looked life-like. Its mouth was opened as if it were about to strike, its fangs tapering into needle-sharp points. Its forked tongue was sheathed in its mouth where it wouldn't get in the way of its bite. And its eyes. They were set with twin emeralds. There was a shine to them that made them look sentient. Draco absolutely adored his present. It was a must have for any self-respecting Slytherin.

After the presents were all opened and everyone had been thanked, Voldemort took Harry aside and spoke with him quietly. "That was a lovely gift, Harry. Very thoughtful."

"Thank you. I didn't really know what to get him. Dobby said that he liked dragons and things that have to do with Slytherin. Since I didn't really know what that meant, I asked him to tell me more about Slytherin, and I learned that it's a house in Hogwarts, and its colors are silver and emerald green. And they practically worship the snake. So, I thought that getting something that looked silver and green and was a snake was a good bet, since he has all those dragons from his parents already."

"Very astute of you, Harry. Did it come with any magic on it? Protective spells or enchantments?"

"Um... I don't think so. I still don't read very well, though, so I can't be sure."

"Did you pack it yourself?"

"No, I had Dobby do it as soon as it arrived in the mail. I've never had anything to give as a present before, so I really didn't know what I was doing."

"Ah, good thinking. I was just wondering."

"Okay... I didn't do something wrong, did I?"

"Oh, no, Harry, nothing like that. My curiosity had just gotten the better of me."

"Oh, good. I'd hate to have upset you."

“I don't think you could even if you tried, child.”

Harry smiled and gave the man a hug.

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Part 11 – Chapter 9 - July 29-30, 1992

The day of the 29th of July dawned cloudy and a little chillier than normal. It wasn’t truly cold, but the clouds masked the sun enough that there was a cool breeze. Harry was feeling curious about the meeting his Uncle ‘Volo had been going to for the last several months. He knew that the man was important, but he didn’t exactly understand why. He thought to seek out someone to answer his questions.

First, he tried Uncle ‘Volo’s study, but the man wasn’t in. Next, he looked for miss Narcissa in her solar, but she wasn’t around. A house elf told Harry that she had left for a brunch with another important lady, and wouldn’t return until late in the afternoon. Feeling a little downhearted, Harry tried mister Lucius’ study. The door was closed, and Harry could hear mister Lucius yelling at someone on the other side. Not wanting to get yelled at himself, Harry quickly ran off. There was only one more person in the house who could answer his questions, and loath as he was to go to him, Harry really wanted his questions answered.

“Draco?” Harry rapped on the boy’s door quietly, half hoping the boy wasn’t awake yet, or had gone out.

“What?” Draco’s answer was less than comforting. He sounded half asleep and quite grumpy.

“Um…I had some questions…and since no one else is here to answer them…I thought maybe…you could?” Harry was fast thinking this was a bad idea, and that he should just turn and run. But he really wanted his questions answered. He needed to know what was going on in the house.

“Fine…give me a minute.” Harry could hear Draco banging around in his room, and couldn’t fathom what was going on that made so much noise. After a few moments, the door opened and a sleepy Draco was ushering Harry inside.

Harry had never been inside Draco’s room before. The room was much like his own, only this room was decorated in Slytherin colors. It was full of the same opulence, with an overlarge bed, luxurious fabrics, and plush carpets. Draco’s room featured all of his crystal dragon figurines. There were at least 24 dragons perched around the room. On the boy’s vanity was the silver snake Harry had given him for his birthday.

Draco, having quickly tired of Harry’s obvious snooping, cleared his throat. “You had questions? What are they? Make it quick, if you please.”

The dark haired boy swallowed and stopped his goggling at the room. He actually pulled into himself a bit, worried that he was annoying the blond to the point of anger. “I’m sorry. I can go…”

The blond sighed and raked a hand through his already messy hair. He hadn’t bothered to comb it when he climbed out of bed. He needed to remember that he couldn’t speak with Harry the same as he would with his friends Crabbe and Goyle. Harry couldn’t take the rough handling as well as those two lumbering idiots.

“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry, I’m a bit gruff in the mornings. What did you want to know?” Draco made a gesture to one of the comfortable looking couched in front of his fireplace. There was no fire in the grate today, but it was still a comfortable place to sit. After a moment or two of thought, Harry sat down.

“I wanted to know more about Uncle ‘Volo,” Harry started. He was fiddling with his fingers nervously, not really sure if he should continue with his questions. He really didn’t want the blond mad at him for being stupid.

Draco raised one sculpted blond eyebrow, wondering where Harry was going with his question. “What about him?”

“Well, I guess first I want to know if his name is really Marvolo? That was what he told me to call him…Uncle Marvolo. But when I got here, I couldn’t say the whole thing, which is why I called him Uncle ‘Volo…and I guess it just stuck. But none of the rest of you call him that…so that’s why I was wondering…”

"No, Harry. His name is Voldemort, but all of his followers call him the Dark Lord, like my parents and my godfather, Severus."

"Ok, so his name is Vol…Volde…Voldemort? No wonder he had me call him something else. ‘Uncle Voldemort’ is quite the mouthful, especially when I couldn’t really speak very well.” Harry paused a moment to think of this next question. Something Draco had said grabbed his attention. “What's a Dark Lord anyways? Is it like a king or something? Is that why he has followers?"

"I suppose, in a way. He's the leader for the Dark side. And he does want to rule the Wizarding world, so I suppose he'll be the king then..." Draco had never thought much about what would happen once the Dark Lord won the war.

"The Dark side of what?" Harry didn't much understand the words that Draco was using. He had no idea what a Dark Lord was, or why his Uncle 'Volo would be one.

Draco sighed. He probably wasn’t the best one to be fielding these questions. He was sure he was going to say something he wasn’t supposed to, but no one coached him on what to tell Harry if he came asking questions. Probably because no one thought Harry would go to Draco for answers, no after their last awful conversation.

“First, you have to know that there is a war going on. It’s not that bad right now, but it’s still there. There are usually two sides to every war, though I guess there could be more than two sides. Anyway, there are two sides in this war. The Dark Side, and the Light Side. The Dark Lord commands the forces for the Dark Side. They are called Death Eaters. The meetings he goes to every day are with those people, telling them what to do and hearing what information they have. My father and Severus are both Death Eaters. Mum isn’t, though. The Dark Lord never made her join. He knows her first loyalty is to the family, and in this case, he thinks it should be. Our family is important.”

Harry took several moment to try and process everything Draco said. There were two sides to this war that’s going on. A Dark Side and a Light Side. And Uncle ‘Volo was leader for the Dark Side. Ok. “So, who leads the other side?”

“A man named Albus Dumbledore. He’s the headmaster of the school I go to.”

“Um…which side is the good side?”

Draco stopped to think himself for a moment. He never really thought about it that way. He just knew that he was on the Dark Side, so was against the Light Side. He knew that the Dark Side had some really good points, and the Light Side was against those things…but he never really stopped to think if those things would be considered good things. He knew that the Light Side wanted people to be safe, and that all of this fighting wasn’t keeping people safe. But he didn’t think that the Dark Lord was bad, or evil or anything. He wanted his people to be safe, too. Safe from persecution for practicing magic they wanted to practice. And there were Dark creatures who were on the Dark Side who needed the Dark Lord to keep them safe, because the people on the Light Side wanted to hurt them.

“I don’t know… I don’t know if there is a good side.”

Harry scrunched up his face a little, not seeing how there couldn’t be a good side. “But, doesn’t someone have to be right, and someone have to be wrong? The person who is right is the good side, and the person who is wrong is the bad side.”

Draco nearly smiled, but remembered just in time that Harry and he weren’t really friends. It wouldn’t do for him to give Harry the wrong idea. But the boy had a very simplistic view of the world. “Not every conflict has someone who is right and someone who is wrong. Sometimes, both people are right, and both people are wrong. They each have things they are right about, and they each have things they are wrong about. In wars like that, it’s the stronger force that wins, not necessarily the good person, or the one who is right.”

Head spinning, Harry leaned back in his seat. He wasn’t sure that he fully understood. Even though Draco was trying to speak to Harry’s level of understanding, there were still some concepts that were too advanced for the boy. But he was pretty sure he got the gist of what the other boy was saying.

“So, in this war, neither side is right…or actually they are both right? And both wrong?”

“Exactly. Both sides have good points, and both sides have bad points.”

“So, the strongest person wins…but what happens to the loser?”

Draco scratched the top of his head and looked off into the distance. This was another thing he hadn’t really thought much about. To him, it didn’t matter if the Light Side lost, because it would just mean his side won. But what would happen to the losers?

“I don’t know, Harry. I’m sure we could ask, though.”

“Okay.”

After that line of questioning had stopped, both boys sat in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say. Ten minutes or so passed before Draco decided he wanted to ask a few questions of his own.

“Can I ask you some questions?”

Harry, startled out of his thoughts, sat up. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to answer some questions. It didn’t really go that well last time. But, Draco did answer his questions without yelling, so it would be the least Harry could do.

“I guess so. What do you want to know?”

“What happened to your parents? I mean, why were you living with your relatives?”

Harry huddled into himself a little bit. He didn’t really like to talk much about the time before this, when he lived with those people. But Draco was being nice, so he would answer.

“Uncle ‘Volo said the fell into a deep sleep that they couldn't wake up from and were sent away with their two best friends. I don’t really know anything else."

"Oh, so they're dead, then?" Draco asked casually, wanting to make sure he understood what Harry was saying. He didn’t even stop for a half second to realize how inconsiderate his question was. He didn’t stop to think how Harry would take the blunt inquiry.

Harry's eyes grew wide and tears began to fill them. He hadn't thought of it that way. Uncle 'Volo had said they were asleep...but isn't that what people say when they don't want to say that someone died? Aunt Petunia had told Dudley that his parrot had gone to sleep when it had died last summer. Why had Uncle 'Volo told him he might be able to see his parents, then? Was he just lying to make Harry feel better? Was Harry really a parent-less orphan that nobody wanted?

Draco's face had a look of shock and horror upon it when Harry began to cry. They weren't loud wails or heaving sobs, just soft sniffles with tears cascading thickly down his face. But loud or not, he still felt terrible that he caused them. He hadn't been trying to be mean. He was just curious. And if the Dark Lord knew he made his "nephew" cry…again… oh, man. He was going to die. The Dark Lord would come home and find out and simply avada kedavra Draco, and the blond would be no more. End of the Malfoy line.

"Don't cry, please don't cry. Um...maybe they are just asleep, okay? Look, I don't really know anything about it...don't cry...come on, Harry, I'm sorry." But nothing he said made Harry stop crying. The boy had curled in on himself and his little frame began shaking, sobs finally making their way out. Draco was sure he broke him. He stood up and paced for a few seconds, wringing his hands. He didn't know what to do. Slytherins don't cry, and he hadn't been around anyone who wasn't a Slytherin much. He’d seen what the Dark Lord did the last time Harry cried like this, but Draco wasn’t sure holding the other boy was really the right answer. There was only one thing Draco could do…call for help. "Dobby!"

When Dobby entered the room, he bowed low, his long nose touching the floor. Before straightening, Dobby asked, “What can Dobby be doing for Master Draco?”

Draco was still flustered, really not knowing what he’d do or what kind of trouble he’d be in. “Make Harry stop crying. Do something. I don’t know how to make it better.”

Dobby straightened quickly and assessed the situation. Master Harry was curled in on himself on the couch, crying his little heart out. Dobby was never a nanny elf, and Master Draco never cried like this. Dobby didn’t know what to do to make it all better either. He wrung his hands and then started smacking himself in the head. He needed to be punished for being a bad elf, not knowing how to help.

Now Draco was left with a silently crying Harry and a distressed house elf punishing itself. Draco could try to make Dobby stop hurting himself, but he was pretty sure it wouldn’t do much good. Near tears himself, Draco called for another elf and had her go for his father. He knew that at this time of the morning, the man would be in his study, taking care of the tasks his many businesses needed taken care of. Even if Draco did get in trouble for making Harry cry again, it would be better than leaving the two to their distress.

It didn’t take long for Lucius to make it to Draco’s room. The man entered without knocking, and stopped almost immediately, in shock over the scene in front of him. He never expected Draco to be sat on his bed, tears in his eyes but not falling, Harry to be crying silently on the couch curled in a ball, and his house elf doing its best to destroy itself. He wasn’t sure which issue he should tackle first.

“Dobby, stop punishing yourself at once!” At least the house elf was easy to deal with. A command should make the thing stop. Dobby did stop hurting himself at once, but he was still wringing his hands.

“Dobby, you are excused.” The little elf popped away immediately. If the creature needed further punishment later, he could get the story from Draco.

Turning to his son, Lucius asked his first question. “What is going on?”

Draco got up and stood in front of his father. He felt so awful about making Harry cry again that he couldn’t look at his father. “Harry and I were talking, and it seemed to be going well…but I think I said something stupid, and Harry started crying. I couldn’t comfort him…I don’t know how…so I tried to call Dobby to help, but that stupid elf didn’t know anything either…so I had to call Mipsy and have her get you…I just…don’t know what to do.”

Lucius had never seen his son in such a state. The boy was usually so stoic around him, always trying to make his father proud. It spoke to how upset the boy was that the formalities were all discarded.

“What was the stupid thing you believe you might have said to upset Harry?”

“I asked him if his parents were dead. I misunderstood what he was saying, and wanted clarification. I didn’t think about how he would react to the question.”

Lucius was first shocked, but that quickly turned to anger and disappointment. He had thought his son was smarter than that. He had thought his son had learned a lesson from the last conversation he had with Harry. Lucius was so angry with Draco, he couldn’t even speak to him. Instead, he turned and addressed Harry instead. He’d deal with Draco later. Harry was more important at the moment.

“Harry, are you well?” It was a stupid question, as it was quite clear that Harry wasn’t well, but Lucius felt he had to start somewhere. He wasn’t surprised to get no answer.

Moving closer to the boy, Lucius laid a hand on the youth’s unruly black hair. “Harry, is there anything I can do to help you?”

Harry didn’t answer. He continued to cry on the couch. But at the touch of Lucius’ hand, he curled just a little tighter in on himself. It didn’t bode well for getting the boy to calm down.

“Harry, I’d like to help you. I need you to talk to me. What can I do?”

Harry still didn’t answer. The questions continued along like that for several minutes. Lucius pleading and Harry refusing to answer. It was to that scene that Severus found both Malfoys and Harry. A house elf had informed him of Harry’s whereabouts, and Severus wanted to check the boy over. He needed to know if the nutrient potions were still working at their current strength, or if they needed to be adjusted. He was not expecting to find Harry in tears and both male Malfoys at a loss for what to do.

No one would ever say that Severus was a nurturing or cuddly man, but even he knew that standing at a distance with one hand on a child’s head was not the way to comfort him. Heaving a sigh, the dour man swooped in and saved the day. He scooped Harry off the couch and held him close. The boy instantly readjusted himself so that he was clinging to the potion’s master like a monkey. Giving the other two a nasty glare, the man left with the boy to calm him down.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Harry and Draco were sitting in the library the next day, each in their own overstuffed chair. Draco was sitting with his back to the window, facing Harry. Harry was sitting with his back to the door, facing Draco. They had been in the room for some time without speaking, simply basking in the quiet of the moment, books propped open on their laps. Draco had been thoroughly scolded the day before after making Harry cry…again. Harry had been calmed down by Severus, and soothed even further that evening when Voldemort returned. Harry had no hard feelings towards Draco. He realized that Draco wasn’t trying to be mean. And once he was assured that his parents weren’t dead, he felt much better.

Draco was the first to break the amiable silence. "So, tomorrow's your birthday, right? You'll be twelve, same as me."

"Is it? I wouldn't know. I've never had a birthday before." Harry wasn't looking at Draco; he had his nose buried in his book, trying desperately to understand everything it said. Some of the words were just too big, though.

"Really? Why not? I thought all children have birthdays."

Harry still hadn't looked up, trying to decipher a word that looked like absolute gibberish to him. "Don't know. My relatives just never celebrated my birthday. I think my cousin had a few, but I don't really remember."

"Only a few? Didn't you celebrate with them?" Draco had a look on his face as if he were offended. Maybe it was because, if he hadn't been invited to celebrate a relative's birthday, he would be.

Finally giving up on the word, Harry looked up. He took note of Draco's expression and tucked it away for later, when he could think on what it meant. "No. They locked me in the cupboard whenever they were doing something fun. Actually, they locked me in the cupboard anytime I didn't have to use the loo, come to think of it..."

Draco spluttered for a moment before finding his voice. He was aghast. "In a cupboard? As in, where they kept the brooms and things?"

"Yeah. That was my room for as long as I can remember. I had a little mattress and a thin blanket and a few of Dudley's broken army men. It wasn't so bad. I was usually warm." Harry actually smiled wistfully, thinking back on his cupboard. He liked where he was living now, but sometimes he missed the place where he grew up.

"Wow. And you were only let out to use the toilet?" It seemed unthinkable to the blond to be restricted so much. If he was only allowed to move about the Manor to use the toilet, he'd go 'round the bend.

"Yeah, if I made a big enough fuss about having to go. I remember when I was really little, my Aunt would make me wait until she felt like letting me out, and I didn't always make it. After that, she decided that most of the time she'd rather make me go on myself than worry about me mucking about the house."

Draco looked sick. "What about meals?"

Harry had a little frown on his face. "If I was really good, Aunt Petunia would give me a couple of crusts of bread and a small glass of water before bed. Only most of the time was the bread stale or moldy and the water had stuff floating in it."

His stomach sank and he whispered his next questions. "That's it? And what did you have to do to be really good?"

Tapping his chin, Harry lifted his head towards the ceiling and thought for a moment. "Um...I think I had to be really quite and not have to use the loo. If I pretended I didn't exist well enough, then I might get some food."

"You don't know for sure?" Draco's heart lurched. He'd never heard of something so terrible before. What were those Muggles thinking?

"No.” Harry shook his head slowly, still in thought. “Sometimes I'd do all of that and still not get any food. Maybe I pretended too well." He tried to make the last a joke. It fell flat.

Draco just wanted to wrap Harry up in a hug and tell him he'd never have to go through that again. It definitely completely changed the boys mind about not deserving the adults’ consideration. Actually, their treatment of him when he first arrived made much more sense. Draco probably would have tried to do even more. He couldn’t imagine being treated that way by his parents, or anyone, really. "That's awful."

"Is it? It's normal to me...been that way for as long as I can remember."

He couldn't let the boy keep thinking that. It was wrong, what they did. He had to try and make him understand. "But...your family is the one you're supposed to count on to be there for you when no one else is. They're supposed to love you and take care of you. When you're sad, those are the people you go to, to make you feel better. They aren't ever supposed to hurt you, at least not on purpose."

Harry looked Draco in the eye and wrinkled his brow. "But your father hits you with his cane all the time."

Draco shook his head as if to say that it wasn't the same thing at all. "Oh, but that doesn't really hurt. It's more of a warning tap than anything. Plus, he does it so that I behave. It's called 'punishment'. He doesn't do it to be mean or to hurt me."

The raven-haired boy looked skeptical. "I don't think my relatives did it to be mean, either. I think they just wanted me to behave," he asserted.

"But, see, that's where it's different. When I say that my father wants me to behave, I mean that he wants me to be nice to people and not embarrass the Malfoy name, not that he expects something impossible from me."

Harry stubbornly argued again. "My Aunt didn't want me to embarrass them either. That's why I had to be quiet and pretend like I didn't exist. I'm a really big embarrassment."

Draco scowled and crossed his arms across his chest. It was really starting to make him mad the way Harry kept on defending those monsters. He tried again. "No, you're still not getting it, Harry. Normal families don't think you're bad when you make any noise, or when you have to go to the toilet or if you want to eat or ask questions. Those things are normal for a child to do. Come on, think. Did your cousin get in trouble when he did those things?"

Harry said at once, "My cousin never got in trouble." He didn't even seem like he resented it. To him, it was simply a fact of life. Harry was a bother, and Dudley never got in trouble.

The older boy clenched his fists. "See. That's because they were being mean to you. If it was normal to have to pretend you didn't exist, your cousin would have to do that too. Did he get to eat when he was hungry? Did he have to ask to use the toilet?"

The younger boy seemed to be getting it now. His face was set in a much smaller frown. "No. He ate all the time, even when he wasn't hungry. And he went to the loo whenever he wanted. He didn't even have to leave the door open when he was in there."

Draco cringed at the mental image of Harry having to use the toilet with someone watching him. There were some things that adults should never do. Harry's relatives seemed to be doing them all. He would wait to ask if they had touched him inappropriately for another time, or perhaps he'd suggest that one of the adults did it. "And did he sleep in a cupboard, too?"

Harry shook his head slowly, finally catching on to what Draco had been driving at. It had only taken him so long because he really hadn't wanted to. "I don't think so. I remember someone saying something about Dudley's second bedroom..."

Draco rolled his eyes and let out a deep breath. "You mean to tell me that he got two bedrooms and you had to sleep in a cupboard on a hard little mattress with a thin little blanket?"

"Yes." Harry was looking decidedly uncomfortable now. It hurt to think of how poorly his family had been treating him. He'd much rather think about how much happier he was here at the Manor.

"Does my Father know about this?" He raised one delicate blond eyebrow in question.

"Probably.” Harry shrugged, just wanting to get the conversation over with. “He was there when Uncle 'Volo pulled me out of the cupboard. I think he put my Aunt to sleep, and my cousin too."

Draco privately thought that meant that his father killed them, but he knew better than to say that to Harry. The boy already seemed to be agitated. It wouldn’t do to make him so angry he went off to tell the Dark Lord, or so sad that he started crying. One crying fit during a conversation was more than enough for him. "Well, I think I'll go talk to him about it shortly."

Harry looked quite confused. "Why?"

Rolling his eyes again, Draco explained, "Well, if he knows about it in detail, he can do something about it."

Harry still wasn't getting it. "What's there to do? I'm not there anymore, so there's nothing to fix or change."

"He can make them pay for what they did," Draco asserted.

Shaking his head, Harry replied, "But I don't think they have much money. They were always complaining about how much I cost to take care of..."

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose like he saw his father do when he was talking to someone particularly stupid, like the Minister. "I don't mean pay with money," he bit out.

Harry huffed in annoyance. Why couldn't people just say what they meant? "What else are they going to pay with? They don't have any magic...or fancy things...”

Scowling, Draco answered, "Don't worry about how they are going to pay. Just be glad that, when my Father hears about this, they will."

Looking away, Harry said in a small, placating voice, "If you say so."

"I do."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Knocking on the door to the study, Draco waited to enter. "Father, do you have a moment?"

Lucius looked up from the ledger he had spread before him and steepled his fingers on top of it. "Yes, Draco. What is it?"

"I was just upstairs speaking with Harry about his home life." Draco entered slowly, stopping just before his father's desk.

The older blond's eyebrows drew together in a faint frown. "Didn’t you learn your lesson yesterday not to speak about Harry’s family?"

"I didn't bring it up, he did. I simply asked him if tomorrow was his birthday."

Lucius sighed, but waved his son on. "Fine. What did you wish to speak about?"

Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest and canted his hips so that he was resting most of his weight on one leg. "Well, Harry told me a number of disturbing things that happened in that house."

"Yes?" Lucius almost dreaded where this conversation was going. He hoped his son wouldn't need to see a mind-healer.

Draco continued, "And I was wondering if you were going to make those Muggles pay for what they did to him, if you haven't already. He said you put his aunt and cousin to sleep. I assumed that meant you killed them and he just didn't know the difference, like with his parents. I couldn’t verify with him without making him cry again."

"Firstly, Draco, don't assume. And secondly, neither his parents nor his other family are deceased. When he says that they are sleeping, he is quite correct. I stunned his aunt and cousin when we were removing him from their house. As for his parents, they are in a magical coma, and have been for the last eleven years."

A look of shock and enlightenment crossed Draco's pale face. "Oh...so that's why he cried when I said they were really dead. He had been told that they were literally sleeping."

Lucius looked alarmed. "Explain."

Draco had the good grace to look a bit sheepish and drop his arms to his sides. "Well, when he said they were in a deep sleep they couldn't wake up from, I was certain that he meant that they were dead, and he was just saying it in a childish way. So I asked him if he meant that they were dead. That's when he started to cry."

"Draco," Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose, making Draco squirm uncomfortably, "just because something sounds one way to you, don't assume it is that way. You may privately have your doubts about the validity of someone's statement, but also remember that they could be telling the truth. It will serve you better than always jumping to conclusions, as you are wont to do."

The boy looked down at his shoes and felt quite foolish. "Yes, Father."

"As for the other thing we were speaking of, do not concern yourself with it."

Draco looked up and tilted his head slightly. "Father?"

Lucius held his eye and tried to convey his meaning. "Whatever befalls the Dursleys is none of your concern. If Our Lord asks me to do something about them, then I shall. Otherwise, their demise shall be his to deliver. Do you understand?"

He nodded swiftly. "Of course, Father. I apologize. It wasn't my place."

"Yes. I understand your wish to make sure that Harry sees justice. However, you must always remember your place as well as his. The Dark Lord has taken him under his wing. Meaning he is the Dark Lord's responsibility, not yours."

"Yes, sir."

Lucius turned back to his ledger. "You may go."

Draco bowed to his father and walked away swiftly, much on his mind. It was only as he began ascending the stairs that he realized he hadn't brought up his suspicions about the perversions in the Dursley household. He shrugged. It could wait.

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Part 12 – Chapter 10 - July 31, 1992

The entire family was situated in the dining room that afternoon. Someone had instructed the house elves to decorate the room with multicolored streamers and large balloons. On the back wall was a banner that read: "Happy Birthday, Harry."

Harry looked around at everything and blushed. He'd never seen so many nice things, and they were all for him. He didn't know what to do. "Thank you, everyone. This means a lot to me. I've never had a birthday before."

Draco gave him a rather large grin and said, "Now's as good a time as any to start." Harry thought he sounded an awful lot like Uncle Severus.

Giving everyone an equally large grin, he asked, "Am I really twelve?"

Voldemort answered, "Yes, Harry."

Narcissa smiled at him politely and asked in her soft voice, "Don't you want to blow out the candles on your cake?"

Harry looked at her quizzically. He'd never heard of blowing out candles. "Why?"

Lucius explained, "You make a wish before you blow out the candles. If you don't tell anyone what it is, it will come true.”

A look of wonder crossed Harry's face. "Really?"

Severus answered grumpily, not particularly enjoying the festivities, "Yes. Now blow out your candles and make your wish."

Giving a shy smile, Harry said, "Okay, here goes..."

He wished more fervently than ever before that he'd have someone to love him. He knew that Uncle Marvolo cared about him, and Uncle Severus...maybe even Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa. But no one loved him like they loved Draco. Or like Aunt Petunia loved Dudley. He didn't get hugs and kisses from anyone. He wasn't the most important person to anyone. He just wanted to be loved like other people were loved. He closed his eyes tight that thought foremost in his mind as he blew out the candles. 'Let me be loved.'

When he opened his eyes a moment later, everyone was smiling at him. They weren't the large smiles that Draco usually gave when he was really happy, or the genuine smiles that Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa shared, but they were the little polite smiles they usually gave when they were slightly amused by something. Harry sighed inwardly and pasted on one of those smiles for himself. 'I wonder how long these wish things take to work?'

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

That night, Harry went to bed a bit sad. No one acted like they loved him all day. He just got those private little smiles and a few gifts that were nice, but didn't really seem like things he'd love. He'd gotten a new pair of boots and some gloves made out of some sort of scaly material. They looked durable and expensive, but he had no idea when he'd ever use them. It wasn't like he ever went outside or got dirty. He also received a silver pocket watch that, if you turned the nob widdershins four times, would bring him back to the Manor if he were ever in trouble.

Severus had given him a Muggle book for him to read by Jules Verne—Journey to the Center of the Earth or something like that. He said it was a nice story full of fantastic new things and adventure. Harry liked the sound of that, so he treasured the book. It was the closest thing he had gotten to something he could love. Draco hadn't gotten him anything at all. He felt bad about getting Draco something, now. Obviously the boy didn't like him, and made no effort to hide it.

There was a soft knock on the door. It was late and Harry was comfortable in bed and didn't want to get up. Plus, he had trouble climbing into the bed on his own since it was so high. In light of that he decided to call out instead.

"Come in" he called softly.

Draco opened the door a tittle and squeezed inside. With a quiet "click" the door shut behind him. He padded over to the bed and heaved himself up—he was taller than Harry, so it was easier for him to do.

Harry looked steadily at Draco. “Did you need something?”

The older boy looked at his hands as he confessed, "I...I didn't know what to get you for your birthday. As I was looking for things, I realized that I don't really know you very well. So, I thought maybe I could talk to you a bit, and then when I knew you better, I could get you something. Anything you want."

Harry frowned. "You don't have to."

"But I want to. You're practically a member of the family, and like I told you, family takes care of each other. That doesn't just mean making sure they eat and use the toilet. It also means giving them the things they want and need, making them happy," Draco replied earnestly. After hearing more about Harry’s early life the day before, Draco was feeling much better about the boy being in the house. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure that they would be close friends, but family weren’t always friends.

"But...you don't even like me...why would you want to make me happy?"

Draco gave his own small frown. "I told you, that's what family does. And who says I don't like you?"

Harry pressed, "But you hardly ever talk to me. Yesterday was our longest conversation ever, and we were talking about the bad things that happened to me..."

The blond scoffed. "That doesn't mean I don't like you. I spend a lot of my time during the summer studying for school in the fall and taking lessons with Uncle Severus. I don't really talk to anyone much."

The raven-haired boy felt a little foolish. "Oh."

"My father told me something that you might find useful. Just because something seems like one thing, doesn't mean it isn't something else. It doesn't do you any good to assume, because you're often wrong," Draco intoned, trying to sound like his father. Harry privately thought he had a ways to go.

"He said that?"

"Well, not in so many words, but that was what he was driving at." Draco fiddled with his fingers as he explained.

"Oh."

He continued, "So, just because it seemed like I didn't like you because we didn't spend a lot of time together doesn't mean that I really don't like you. Like I said, I'm busy, that's all."

"Okay."

Draco gave Harry a brilliant smile in the hopes that the other boy would open up a bit. "So, why don't you tell me more about you? I already know enough about what your life was like when you were growing up, so how about what you like and don't like?"

"Oh, um..." Harry floundered around for a moment, not sure what to say.

"It's okay. I promise I won't laugh." Draco had assumed, again, that he knew the reason for Harry's silence.

“It's not that. I just...don't really know.” A rosy blush suffused Harry's face. Somehow, Draco always managed to make him feel stupid and young.

Draco ignored the blush and turned up the wattage on his smile. "Weeeell, why don't you start with what you've seen so far in the Manor and liked?"

Harry privately thought that it was a decent idea, but he wasn't going to tell Draco that, lest his head get any bigger. "Hmm...I guess I like how comfortable this bed is, and how warm I am when I'm in it."

"Okay, what else?" Draco looked eager to hear whatever Harry had to say. It made Harry feel a little uneasy.

"Um...I like the color green." Harry was still blushing, his face feeling too warm for comfort.

“What shade? Bright green, dark green, emerald green?”

“All shades, I guess.”

Draco nodded in acceptance. "What about animals?"

"Um...the only animals I've seen are the ones for the houses of Hogwarts and your weird albino peacocks..." In Harry's opinion, peacocks were strange monsters that sounded like frightened children, not something that should be kept as a pet.

"Well, do you like any of them?" Draco was getting a little pushy.

"I guess I like the Lion and the Snake."

Draco nodded in understanding before launching into his next question. "Do you like Quidditch?"

Harry's head was spinning slightly and he was growing confused and more than a little overwhelmed. When Draco was focused, he was a little scary. "What's Quidditch?"

"I'll take that as a no... Quidditch is a sport that's played with brooms like the ones we got for Christmas."

Harry felt that that wasn't much of an explanation, but ran with it anyways. "Oh, I haven't gotten a chance to use my broom yet. I don't even know how."

"Well, maybe I can teach you tomorrow. I think I have some free time in the morning before my lessons with Uncle Severus start."

Harry smiled. "That would be nice. You can call that my present if you want."

Draco shook his head. "No, no, no. I have to get you something. Something that costs money."

"Why?" It seemed like an awfully silly rule to him.

"Because that's how Malfoys show their affection. We buy each other expensive gifts they we know the other person will like."

"But, what if I don't want something expensive?" Harry asked, suddenly quite curious of the answer.

Draco paused in thought. "Hm...I hadn't thought of that before. No one else has ever not wanted something expensive. All of my friends come from families with money. They expect fancy presents."

Harry said slowly, "I don't need fancy things to be happy..."

The blond haired boy wrinkled his brow in disgust and confusion. "That's so strange...if Crabbe, Goyle, or Pansy didn’t get something that cost a lot of money, they’d flip."

Harry secretly thought that Draco would, too. Instead of saying that, however, he asked, "You have other friends? What are they like?"

"Oh, of course I have other friends. I'd be awfully lonely at Hogwarts if I didn't. There's Blaise and Pansy and Crabbe and Goyle...I know Millicent, Daphne, and Theodore too, but we aren't really friends. Blaise is a tall black boy with a quiet manner but a sharp wit. Pansy is blonde like me, but not as attractive. She's also pretty mean when she wants to be, which is almost all the time. Crabbe and Goyle are probably my closest friends. They aren't very bright, but they're incredibly loyal—well, as loyal as any snake, I suppose. Their first names are Vincent and Greg, but no one calls them that."

"Such odd names. I wish I had an odd name..." Harry said wistfully.

"Trust me, Harry, your name is odd. Harry. It's so…simple. Nothing like Lucius or Draco or Narcissa. Those names have character."

"Yeah...I'm just Harry. Boring old Harry stinking Potter."

Draco's eyes went as wide as saucers. Did he hear him correctly? "Wait, wait, wait. Your last name is Potter?"

Harry's brow wrinkled in confusion, not sure why it mattered. "Yeah. My parents are James and Lily Potter. Why?"

"Oh. My. Merlin!” Draco squealed like an eleven-year-old girl at a Jonas Brother's concert. “I can't believe I've been living with such a famous person all this time and I didn't even know it!"

Harry looked at the other boy sideways. Had he lost his marbles? "A famous person? Uncle Marvolo's always been a famous person...you're the one who told me that..."

Draco sighed and shook his head. "No, not the Dark Lord. You, stupid."

"I'm not stupid..." Harry murmured. He was getting pretty sick of Draco always putting him down for his lack of knowledge.

"Oh, I didn't mean you were really stupid...I just meant... Great Mother, I can't believe you don't know who you are...I mean, I can, knowing what I do about your horrible Muggle relatives...but still..."

Harry was incredibly confused. "Draco...what are you talking about?"

"You. You're famous, Harry." Draco beamed at him, incredibly happy of that fact.

"Why?" Harry had a bad feeling that he wouldn't like the answer to that question.

Draco suddenly went pale as he realized what he had been saying. He almost spilled the beans. Of course, he hadn't been specifically told not to tell Harry anything, but if the boy didn't know yet, then that must mean no one else wanted him to know. 'Draco, you can be incredibly stupid, sometimes.'

"Um...well... anyways... I think I've got enough information now. I'll get you that present soon, okay?"

The bad feeling got worse when Draco avoided answering. He hated it when people kept things from him. It made him feel like he wasn't important enough to know. And when that thing that they were keeping secret was about him, it made him mad. He had a right to know! "Draco, tell me."

"Goodnight!" With that, Draco sped out of the room like the bats of hell were on his heels. He knew that if he told Harry what he was about to tell him that they would be the least of his worries. He almost blew it, telling Harry that his Uncle Marvolo tried to kill him...and that everyone else thought he'd succeeded...it'd kill him if he found out.

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Part 13 – Chapter 11 - August 1, 1992

Harry padded down to breakfast the next morning still mulling over what Draco had told him the night before. Apparently, he was famous, but Draco was afraid to tell him what for. Harry wondered if he'd done something bad. He couldn't remember anything really bad he'd done, but he didn't remember doing anything really good either...so that really didn't help him. As he entered the room, he noticed that the adults were already seated at the breakfast table, though Draco was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Draco?" Harry asked, slightly worried about the blond.

Narcissa smiled as she responded, "Oh, he said he's not feeling very well this morning."

Harry frowned as he took a seat. "Hm... he said he'd teach me how to fly before his lessons this afternoon..."

The blonde matriarch's smile grew a little wider with pride. "Did he? Well, our Draco is an accomplished flier, though I still don't know if he's the best one to teach you."

Biting his bottom lip, Harry asked, "Did he say why he's feeling sick? He seemed to be fine when he came to talk to me last night..."

Several pairs of eyebrows rose at this statement. So Draco was fine before he went to bed, but suddenly ill this morning. Sounded suspicious. Lucius responded this time, "Did he? I'm sure it's nothing serious, then. Probably ate too much cake yesterday."

"Oh, yeah, that's probably it. He did have a rather large piece didn't he? And he left in such a hurry last night." Harry knew that Draco probably wasn't sick off the cake, or sick at all, for that matter, but he didn't want to let anyone know that he knew something fishy was going on. Always better to act clueless.

"What would you like to eat this morning, Harry?" Voldemort asked his young charge who had taken the chair to his left.

"Oh, I hadn't thought about it. I suppose whatever is fine." Voldemort frowned but didn't make a big deal out of the child's indecision. He had to remind himself that it was understandable, in light of the fact that Harry hadn't had many choices in his life. When presented with so many, it was easier to allow someone else to make the decision.

Breakfast passed fairly quietly after that, with only a few questions being tossed around in between bites: "What do you have planned for today, Dear?" (That was Lucius); "Oh, just another luncheon with some of the ladies. You?" (Narcissa was ever so graceful as she replied); "The Winzengamot is trying to pass some legislature granting giants more rights. Need to quash that before they start getting ideas. Severus?"; "Well, I was supposed to teach your son after lunch, but it looks like we may be canceling." (Severus didn't seem to appreciate being included); "Why don't you teach Harry? I'm sure he'd love to learn how to brew potions, wouldn't you Harry?" (There was Voldemort, adding in his two knuts); "Oh, yes, please." (Harry replied happily, glad to be included.)

It went on like that for about an hour before Harry got up the nerve to ask what had been bothering him all night. "Uncle 'Volo...?"

"Yes, Harry?" Voldemort paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. He waited for the question to be asked before deciding whether to take the bite or place it back on his plate.

"Um...last night...Draco said something that had me wondering."

Everyone's interest was piqued. They ignored their food for a moment and turned their gazes to Harry. Voldemort lowered his fork back onto his plate and gave Harry his full attention. He might have to do damage control, knowing Draco. "And what did he say?"

"Well, he was talking about his friends at Hogwarts and they all had such cool names and I said that 'Harry' was such a boring name and then I said my full name—I don't really like my name, you see—and he...he was shocked. Really, he sort of freaked out, squealing like a girl who just received something pink. Anyways, he said...he said that I was famous but then he wouldn't tell me why. He just ran out of the room without saying anything. So, I was wondering, what am I famous for?"

Several mouths pursed in a faint grimace. They were too irritated with the blond preteen to be amused at Harry's simile. Damn Draco and his big mouth. Voldemort almost looked ill, and he would have completely looked it if he would allow his face to do something so uncouth. "Well, Harry...it's a bit...complicated."

"But why? Either I did something good or I did something bad, right?"

"Well, yes, I suppose you could look at it that way." Voldemort was trying to be as honest as possible without giving away too much of the truth.

"Well, which was it?" Harry asked impatiently. He could tell that his guardian was trying to keep things from him and he wanted no part of it.

"Harry, it's not really anything you did, per se." It was getting harder to dance around the truth.

Harry frowned quizzically. "I don't understand. So, I didn't do anything? So then why am I famous?"

Narcissa was the one who saved them all from a very awkward conversation. "Well, Harry, it's not really you that's famous. It's your parents. Everyone knows what happened to them, that they're asleep and can't be woken up."

Harry's face fell and he looked down at the table. He didn't really feel like this was the whole truth, but it was easier to accept than that everyone was hiding something huge and terrible from him. "Oh...I guess...I guess I understand. So...Harry isn't famous...Potter is, then?"

Narcissa had an uncomfortable smile on her face. She realized that there was not good way to answer. If she said that it was Harry who was famous, he'd want to know why. And if she said that it was Potter who was famous, then he'd feel like he didn't mean anything. She had a split second to decide. It was better for him to feel a little down now than to have him hate them all later. Her decision was made. "Yes, that's right."

"Oh." He said again. His heart felt heavy, like it was filled with stone. He knew he wasn't anything special, no matter what Draco said. "Excuse me."

He left the table and went upstairs to his room. Since he couldn't climb up into his bed on his own, he pulled off the squashy comforter and slid under the bed instead. He felt terrible. He'd spent all night thinking that he was somebody. That he was famous and everyone knew who he was. And now, in the span of only a few minutes, he was back to being nobody. His mind whirled with all the conversations he'd had since he was taken from his cupboard, all the things people had told him and tried to make him believe. Lies, all of them. He couldn't trust anything anyone said. They didn't want him to know the truth. They wanted to keep him in the dark, keep him small and stupid. He thought they cared about him... So much for his birthday wish.

He didn't know how long he spent under his bed alone, crying to himself. All he knew was that he'd rather be back in his cupboard than here right now. At least when he was in the cupboard, he knew his place. He knew that Petunia and Vernon and Dudley weren't related to him. He knew that he was just 'Boy'. Nothing mattered beyond that. Here, he didn't know what his place was. He wasn't related to anyone here either, but they acted like he was, like they cared. But that's all it was, an act. He didn't matter to anyone. He was 'Harry' here, but what did that even mean?

There was a soft knock on the door. Harry buried his head under the comforter and pretended like he didn't hear anything. He didn't care if someone got mad because he did that. He didn't care if the hit him really hard to make him sorry. At least then things would make sense again.

"Harry?" It was Draco. He didn't want to talk to anyone, especially not Draco who had started this mess. He wished he wasn't there anymore. "Harry? Can I come in, please?"

Harry refused to answer. He screwed his eyes shut as tightly as they'd go and wished he was back in his cupboard where the world made sense. He could hear the door open quietly and someone come into the room. 'Not someone, Draco.'

He wished harder.

The footsteps drew closer. "Harry, look...I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm the reason you're upset right now. So, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Harry shook his head and tried to envision the inside of his dark cupboard. It was stuffy and cramped and dirty, but it was his. His little mattress was smelly and hard, but it was his. He ran this mantra through his head several times until it drowned out the noise of Draco's footsteps and his questions.

When he shifted to get more comfortable on the floor under the bed, he let out a little squeak of surprise. He wasn't under his large bed in the Manor anymore. He felt something hard and lumpy beneath him, and the air felt different. For a moment he was sure he was back in his cupboard. He closed his eyes again for a moment and breathed in the strange air. Maybe it was all a dream? But no, there was the comforter still wrapped around his shoulders. He pried his eyes back open and tried to look around.

If he were back in his cupboard, there would be a dim shaft of light spearing through the darkness from the vent in the door. But he couldn't see any light coming through the vent, couldn't feel any air currents from the door at all. It was darker than he remembered, more sinister. The air was stuffier than before, too. He felt around for the door so that he could let some light in, some clean air, but couldn't find it. It wasn't where it last was, and he worried that he hadn't made it back to his cupboard after all.

He pounded on the wall where he was sure a door had been, but it didn't budge. He tried to hit it harder, just in case it was stuck. Nothing. But he did hear something, though. Petunia's high-pitched voice cried, "Vernon! Vernon! I swear I heard something banging on the wall under the stairs!"

"Oh, nonsense, Petunia. There's nothing under there anymore, not since that freak left." Came Vernon's much lower register.

"Vernon, I swear, I heard something," Petunia cried again, her voice coming a bit closer.

Vernon growled out his reply, angry at Petunia's insistence. "Petunia, I told you, that's nonsense."

Harry could hear footsteps coming closer. They weren't booming, so it must not be Uncle Vernon coming to check. His heart fluttered in his chest and he listened. For a moment, there wasn't any sound at all. He held his breath and waited, wondering what Aunt Petunia would do.

Nothing, as it turns out.

"I suppose you're right," she muttered as she walked away.

Now that the close call had ended, Harry had time to process the facts, and he was truly scared. He had made it back to his cupboard, but it wasn't his anymore. They'd done something to it, something so that he couldn't get out. The air seemed a bit stuffier since he first got there and it made his panic increase. If there wasn't a door anymore, how was he going to get out? How was he going to get air or food? He was going to die and no one would ever know what happened to him! They wouldn't find his body for months until it started smelling up the house and they opened up the wall to find out what it was.

Panicking severely now, Harry tried to reverse the process he was certain caused him to get stuck in the wall. He wished as hard as he could that he was back in the Manor, back in the arms of his Uncle 'Volo. Tears were streaming down his face as he whispered to himself. "Please, take me back to the Manor. Please, I want to see Uncle 'Volo again. Don't leave me here to die. Please! Please! I wanna go back. I don't want to be here anymore! Please!" As he sat there whispering to himself for long moments, nothing happened.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

"Harry?" Draco said a bit louder as he walked closer to the bed. Harry hadn't responded at all when he first called out to him, but Draco had heard him breathing. But now, he heard nothing. He was close enough to the four-poster now to tell there wasn't anyone in the bed. Panic rising, Draco called louder, "Harry, where are you?" Still, no answer.

The door opened wider behind Draco and a tall figure entered. "Harry?" That voice belonged to the Dark Lord. He'd come to talk to Harry too, it seemed.

"He didn't answer when I knocked, but I knew he was in here because I heard him breathing. I don't hear it anymore, though," Draco supplied helpfully.

"No, I don't suppose you would. I felt a strong surge of magic just a moment ago. Perhaps Harry made himself silent so you couldn't find him."

"What's going on?" That was Lucius. He sounded concerned. "I felt something pass the wards from in here..."

"Truly? We're looking for Harry. He's not making any noise, and hasn't answered Draco at all."

"Dobby!" The elf popped into the room instantaneously.

"Yes, Master Lucius, sir?" He asked with a deep bow.

"Where is Harry?" Lucius asked authoritatively.

"Dobby is not knowing, sir. He was under his bed, but he is not being there now."

Lucius didn't like that answer. Worry filled him with an uncomfortable sensation. "Find him!" He barked.

"Yes, Master Lucius, sir," Dobby replied as he bowed before disappearing.

Lucius took a moment to calm himself before he addressed the other occupants of the room. "He'll find him, you can be certain of that. But, how in the devil did he leave the Manor?"

"Hmmm," Voldemort hummed speculatively.

"You don't suppose it was...He can't have known!" Lucius cried, ignoring how unsophisticated it made him look. Harry's well-being meant more to him than his image, at least at the moment.

Voldemort didn't look nearly as worried as Lucius felt, but the blond man was sure that wasn't because he didn't feel the emotion. Some people were just better at keeping on their masks than others. The Dark Lord straightened his back a little more and stared at his follower. "We shall find out soon enough."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

"Please, let me go home! I want to go home!"

"Little Master Harry Potter, sir?"

"Dobby? Dobby, is that really you?!" Harry cried in relief.

"It is being me, sir. Master Lucius Malfoy is being sending me to find you, sir. Master Dark Lord is being very anxious to have you home, sir. And Little Master Draco is being sad that you is not being talking to him," Dobby explained.

Tears were rolling down Harry's face and a few strands of hair were plastered in their tracks. "Take me home, Dobby. I want to go home now."

"Yes, Little Master Harry Potter, sir." Dobby took hold of one of Harry's hands and apparated him back to the Manor.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

As soon as Harry reappeared in his room in the Manor, he was assaulted with cries.

"Harry!" Draco called out, surprised to see him back so soon.

"Oh, Harry!" Narcissa cried, having just been informed of the situation and worried about the young man.

"Where. Have. You. Been?!" Voldemort bit out, so worried that it came out as anger instead of concern. Harry felt himself being engulfed in strong, warm arms. They held him securely to an equally strong chest. He was home, and he was happy to be so.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I mean...I did...but I didn't know...I'm sorry."

Voldemort closed his eyes and listened to Harry's voice, holding him tighter, so afraid of what might have happened to his young charge. "I was so afraid" he whispered, for Harry's ears only.

"I'm sorry. I was confused and scared and I just wanted to be back in my cupboard where everything made sense but it's not my cupboard anymore. They did something to the door. It was gone and I couldn't get out and I was going to die and no one was going to find me until I started to smeeellll!" Harry cried, still so afraid of dying behind a wall in the Dursleys' house.

Voldemort pet Harry's hair and snuggled him even closer. "Oh, Harry...we would have found you before you died, and surely before you began to rot."

Harry had his eyes screwed shut and was in abject denial. "No, no one was going to find me. No one cared about me enough to look. I'm just Harry. I'm not important and no one was going to find me and I was going to dieeee!"

"Harry, hush now. You're safe. You aren't going to die for a long, long time. You'll live until you're terribly old and have gotten married and had a dozen children."

Tears squeezed past Harry's tightly closed lids as he cried into Voldemort's shoulder. "Uncle 'Voloooooo!"

"Harry..."

Lucius looked at his son and gestured that they should leave them alone for a while. Draco didn't know how to feel seeing the most feared Dark wizard of all time holding onto a sobbing child and smoothing down his hair, his own eyes suspiciously wet. He left the room with only a quick look back.

"Why did you leave me, Harry?" Voldemort whispered.

"I'm not special. I'm just Harry and no one loves me. I don't understand why people pretend to care about me when there's no reason to. I understood my life when I was in the cupboard. I was nobody. I didn't have a name or a family or a birthday. I only got to eat if I was really good. I didn't talk. I didn't move. It wasn't fun, but I understood. I just wanted to go back to a place where I understood," Harry babbled.

"Harry, we do love you. All of us, even Draco. You might not be my child, but you're as good as. Severus and Lucius feel the same way. But, we're Slytherins to the core, Harry. We don't tend to show emotion well. I'm sorry we ever made you feel like you weren't loved and wanted."

"Even if I'm not famous and special?" The boy asked in a small voice.

"Harry, we are all famous enough to last a lifetime; we don't need you to be as well. And you are special, Harry. You are alive when everyone thinks you're dead. Even with everything you've been through, you can still love and trust. You're smart, and catch on quickly when you want to. And you're powerful, Harry. Do you think all little boys could apparate through incredibly strong wards and reappear hundreds of miles away? No, it's just you."

Harry hated to hope, but he couldn't stop himself. "Really? You mean it?"

"Yes, Harry. You mean the world to us, and we don't want anything to happen to you. The next time you're afraid or feel confused, talk to someone. Draco might not always say the right thing, but he's your age, so he'll probably understand. If you don't want to talk to him, Severus, Lucius, Narcissa and I will always make time to talk with you. We love you." Harry didn't fully believe him, but he tried.

"I've never been loved before."

"Your parents loved you very much. Tell you what. Why don't you lay in here for a little while? I'll have Draco come back in and sit with you, okay? So you aren't alone. And then I'll speak to Severus about getting you to see your parents. I meant to do this sooner, but things have come up."

Harry gave his guardian a faint smile. "I'd like that."

"Good. I'll be back as soon as we figure something out, okay?"

"Okay."

Draco entered the room a moment after Uncle Marvolo left. "Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yeah...just scared, that's all."

"Still scared?" Draco tried to clarify.

"No, just was earlier."

"Oh, well it's good that you aren't anymore. Really, there isn't anything to fear here in the Manor. No one can get in if we don't want them to. And no one can hurt you without going through us first."

"Why are you being so nice?" It was as though Harry had forgotten their entire previous conversation.

"Didn't I tell you last night? You're practically family."

"And you take care of family, I remember." So, apparently he hadn't forgotten everything, just the important part.

"Exactly, so no more stupid questions, okay?" Draco had a sly smirk on his face. It was clear that he was joking.

"Sure, I'll try," Harry replied with a shy smile, not used to the teasing banter.

"You'd better."

"So, what did you come to talk to me about earlier?"

Draco's eyed widened for a moment before settling back into his normal expression. "Oh, I just wanted to apologize for making you feel bad. I didn't realize you felt so bad you wanted to leave us."

"I was just really confused. I've always been a nobody, and then when I was here, I felt like somebody, and then, when your mom told me that I wasn't really famous and it was my parents who were...I felt like a nobody again. I didn't understand why anybody would be so kind to a nobody like me. I wanted to go back to a place where I was treated like I felt, some place that made sense," Harry explained.

"Stupid, you should have said. I'd have set you straight."

"I know, Uncle 'Volo already said that I should have talked to someone when I was feeling bad. But, you have to understand...I wasn't allowed to talk growing up. I didn't know...I mean...maybe I did...but I didn't believe it."

"I get it. You were so upset that all you could really remember is what they had told you. To shut up and be invisible," Draco elaborated.

"Yeah." That was exactly it. He was glad that Draco knew him so well.

"Well, listen to me now. Don't shut up unless Father, Mother, Uncle Severus or the Dark Lord tell you to. Don't ever be invisible. If we can't find you, we'll get worried. And you don't want to make us worry, do you?"

Harry really didn't. "No. Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Do you...do you love me?" Harry asked a question that had been simmering in the back of his mind for a little while.

Draco looked taken aback. Love? He loved his parents, sure. But did he love Harry? He didn't even know if he loved his Uncle Severus...and he'd been around since he was a baby. "Um...I don't know."

Harry's face fell a little bit. Maybe Uncle 'Volo lied to him, then. "Oh..."

"Why?" Draco asked with a puzzled expression shifting his features.

"Well, Uncle 'Volo said you did, but I wanted to know if it was true." 'Because it would be really nice if it was,' Harry finished in his head.

"Oh, well, I suppose I could. It's entirely possible that I might. But I don't even know if I love Uncle Severus, and he's my godfather and has been around since I was a baby. I know I love my parents, because, well, they are my parents."

"I see..." Harry said softly. He didn't, really, because he hadn't had enough experience to know what Draco was talking about. He knew that when you loved someone, you liked them a lot and wanted to be around them, you gave them hugs and kisses and were nice to them. And Uncle Severus, Uncle 'Volo, Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa had tried to be and do all that for him. Draco said he liked Harry, and he acted like he wanted to be around him, and he was nice. Did that mean he loved Harry?

"No you don't," Draco said frankly, calling him on his lie.

"Okay, so I don't. But I'm trying to."

Draco suddenly turned the tides. "Do you love me?"

"Um..." Harry blushed. "Yes?" He didn't really know if he did or not. He liked Draco a lot, and he wanted to be around him and tried to be nice. He even wanted to give him hugs and kisses. But, did that mean he loved him?

"Is that a question or a statement, Harry?"

"A statement?" Harry really didn't know how to answer. He didn't want to lie about something like this.

Draco shook his head with a sigh. "You don't have to, you know. It's okay if you don't, as long as you like me."

"Oh, I do. I really, really do. Like you, I mean."

"Well, good. I like you, too."

Harry smiled. It might not be love, for either of them, but it was a start.

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Part 14 – Chapter 12 - August 31, 1992

"Do you really have to go back to school, Draco?" Harry asked for the twentieth time.

Draco answered the same way he always did. "Yeah. It's too bad you can't come, too. But Father said it's not safe for you to leave the Manor, what with everyone still thinking you're dead and all."

"Yeah, I suppose. But I wish I could see you off tomorrow. I'd love to see what the Hogwarts express looks like."

"I'll ask Mother for a camera and take a picture for you," Draco placated with a soft smile.

"Will you really? And of Hogwarts, too? And your friends?"

Draco chuckled. "Sure, sure. I'll take a picture of everything."

Harry smiled widely and wiggled in his seat. "Yay! It'll be almost as good as being there. You'll write me, won't you?"

"Of course. I'll even describe what the feast tastes like."

"Aw, Draco, you do love me!" Harry laughed as Draco blushed a furious crimson.

"Don't say embarrassing things like that, Harry!"

"Why is it embarrassing?" Harry asked innocently, not sure why Draco was making such a big deal out of it. He had just been teasing.

"Because, we're too old to tell each other 'I love you'."

"But your parents say it...and you didn't complain the other day when I asked..." 

"My parents are married. When they say it, it means something different. And the other day you weren't being so embarrassing."

Harry still didn't understand Draco's problem. If anything, he was more confused. "What does it mean, then?"

"It means...it means that they fancy each other."

“What does 'fancy' mean?” Harry asked with a puzzled frown.

“It means that they like each other like that. You know, they want to kiss and stuff.” Draco looked like he really didn't want to be talking about his parents fancying each other.

"But they say it to you..."

"That's because I'm younger than they are and they think I'm still a child. Plus it doesn't mean that when they say it to me."

"But you are a child, Draco."

"I am not!" Draco hated being called a child. To him, it meant the same as being weak and stupid.

Harry didn't get it, though. To him, it was simply a fact of life. "It's not something to be upset about. I'm a child too. Your whole school is full of children."

"Just because I'm young doesn't make me a child." Draco tried to explain the difference to Harry without having to tell him outright.

Harry rolled his eyes. Draco was so weird. "Whatever you say, Draco. I still don't get why we're too old to tell each other how we feel. I thought we were practically family."

“We are.”

“Then why?”

"Because!"

"Because whyyyy?" Harry felt himself driven to whinging in the face of Draco's stubbornness.

"Don't whinge, Potter, it is not becoming."

"Draco?"

Draco realized a bit late what he said and smacked his hand against his forehead. "I'm not mad, just irritated."

"But you called me 'Potter'. You only call me that when you're mad at me..." Harry pointed out softly. He didn't exactly know how he'd done it, but he'd pushed Draco's buttons.

Draco was reaching his boiling point. Harry was being irritating and asking too many questions and getting him all embarrassed. He just wanted him to shut up for a while. "I'M NOT MAD!"

"Then why are you yelliiiing?"

Draco had had enough. He couldn't stop his next words even if he had wanted to. "Potter, just SHUT UP!"

Harry's eyes watered and he turned away, not wanting Draco to see him cry. He didn't mean to make the older boy mad at him, he just didn't understand why he couldn't tell him he loved him... It wasn't anything to be ashamed of.

Lucius entered the room moments later and appraised the scene. Harry was standing off to one side, obviously trying not to cry, and his son was standing opposite the boy with a scowl on his face. "Draco, stop shouting. Malfoys do not shout."

Draco sighed and ran a hand across his face. He was so very tired all of a sudden. "Sorry, Father."

Lucius moved closer to the younger boy and tried to look into his eyes. "Are you quite all right, Harry?"

Harry held himself stiffly and expertly avoided the older man's gaze. "I'm fine, sir."

Lucius knelt down so that he was level with Harry. "You most certainly are not. You only call me 'sir' when you're upset. Did Draco say something ill-advised again?" Draco scowled harder. Why did everyone always assume that he had been the one to say something “ill-advised?” Harry was the one who started it with his stupid teasing.

"No, it's just me. It's no big deal. I'm fine." Harry was still looking resolutely away from the other people in the room. It was his problem; they didn't need to deal with it.

Draco sighed, not liking it when Harry withdrew. And, in a way, it was his fault. Best to apologize. "I'm sorry, Father. I yelled again, because he was saying things that...embarrassed me."

Lucius frowned. "Yes, you do tend to lash out when you're embarrassed."

Draco walked over to Harry and bent over, trying to get Harry to look at him. He used his softest voice to try and coax him out of his shell. "Hey, Harry, I'm sorry. It's just...when you say...that...when we're as old as we are...it means something different than what you think it does."

Lucius raised an eyebrow at his son, but didn't ask him to elaborate...yet.

Harry responded faintly, "I didn't mean anything by it... I just don't understand why I can't say it..."

Draco leaned closer and whispered into Harry's ear. "Because, it means the same as when my parents say it...and...that's embarrassing."

Harry's face flamed red and he ducked his head so that his fringe hid his eyes. "'m sorry, Draco. I didn't mean it that way. I meant it in the family way...you know that..." Lucius' interest was quite peaked now. He and Draco would be having a nice little chat as soon as they were done here.

"Do I? Sometimes, I don't know..." And sometimes Draco did wonder. Harry was strange and different than the other people he knew his age. He seemed to have more emotions, and showed them all freely.

"But, Dracoooo! You know I don't mean it that other way!"

Draco laughed, slipping himself out of his heavier thoughts. "Okay, okay. Keep your knickers on."

"Dracooooo, I don't wear knickers!"

As humorous as he found the situation, he was eager to end the conversation and start a new one with Draco about the secret things he and Harry had been talking about. "Draco, do stop teasing the boy. You'll make his poor little heart pop." Harry blushed furiously at that.

Draco smiled at the color on Harry's cheeks. Sometimes, the boy could be really cute. As he looked at the boy, he got an uncomfortable feeling in his lower extremities. "Sorry, Father, Harry. I need to go make sure everything is in order for tomorrow." With that, Draco left the room.

Lucius frowned inwardly, irritated that his son slipped through his fingers so easily. He turned to Harry and asked, "Are you okay now, Harry?"

"Yeah. I mean, yes."

Lucius laughed. Harry was always so concerned with being proper around him, even though they were at home and things were a little more lax there. "It's okay, Harry. You don't have to be proper all the time."

"I know...I just...I don't want to be an embarrassment."

"You won't be, especially not here in the Manor when we have no guests. Eventually, you will leave the house and go out amongst the people, and then, you will need to remember your lessons. But until then, we want you to be comfortable."

Harry leveled a brilliant smile on the man. "Thank you, Uncle Lucius."

Lucius smiled back, though not quite as brilliantly. "That's a lad. Now, would you like to join me for an afternoon snack? I'm afraid I skipped lunch today to prepare for a meeting this evening."

The smile only got brighter as Harry replied, "Sure!"

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Harry was sat across from Lucius down in the dining room, a large fudge sundae settled in front of him, complete with a cherry and chopped nuts. Lucius was eating something much less sweet and sticky called a "panini", whatever that was. It looked like a flat grilled sandwich, though.

"Are you sure I can't go see Draco off tomorrow?" Harry asked again, for the twentieth time.

"It's not safe," Lucius answered once more.

"Isn't there some kind of magic that would make me invisible or something? No one would even know I was there..." Harry tried. He desperately wanted to see Draco off in person at the station, and not even to see the scarlet steam engine that Draco had described.

"Harry, even if there were magic to get you to the platform, it still wouldn't be safe. What if it wore off? What if someone recognized you and decided to take you away? What if you got lost? There are a lot of people there on the first of September." Lucius didn't see the need to inform Harry that there was magic that could do exactly what he asked. It would simply provide more fuel for his whinging questions.

"What if I promise to be really, really careful and be right next to you the whole time? Pleeeaaasssse? I really wanna go say goodbye to Draco and see the Hogwarts express." Harry tried for his best wounded puppy look. He thought it might have been better than the one he saw Draco use on his mother to get that extra desert the other night.

Lucius, used to the puppy dog eyes from years of dealing with Draco replied, "I'm sorry, Harry, but the answer is no. It would cast too bright a light on our family if something went wrong. You could be taken away, hurt. People would ask uncomfortable questions that we might not be able to answer. And the Dark Lord...if people knew...no. It's not worth it. You may say your goodbyes here before we leave in the morning."

Harry knew when to quit, and the time had come once more. It didn't make him any less disappointed, however. "Yes, sir."

Lucius hated it when Harry used that tone. It almost made him change his mind. "Harry..."

Harry shook his head and cast his eyes down, no longer wanting to eat his delicious ice cream treat. "I understand."

Moments later, the Dark Lord entered the room where he had heard voices. He caught sight of Harry's downtrodden expression and asked, "What has you so glum, Harry?"

Lucius twisted his mouth and answered, "He's sulking because I won't let him see Draco off at King's Cross tomorrow."

Voldemort nodded in understanding. He, too, had witnessed how dejected Harry could get when he was told 'no'. "Ah. He's quite right, Harry. It is much too dangerous to have you wandering about amidst hundreds of other children around your age. Plus their parents. Who knows who could be watching, waiting for the chance to pounce."

Harry's voice got quieter. "I know..." He still didn't have to like it.

"Don't worry, soon you'll be able to go and visit your parents. They're still asleep, mind you, but you'll be able to see their faces at least. Severus is finalizing things with a fellow teacher at Hogwarts as we speak. She was a very good friend of your parents', too. She doesn't know about you, as we couldn't risk her telling someone else, but she's letting Severus know when he might be able to go and avoid the two friends who are there."

Harry’s interest was piqued. He wanted to go see his parents. But he was confused as to why they had to avoid his parents' best friends. "Why do we want to avoid them? If they are friends of my parents, shouldn't I meet them?"

Voldemort gave the boy a fond smile. "Normally, yes. However, in this instance, it might not be wise. You see, they don't like Severus, Lucius or myself. And that means that if they knew you were alive and living with us, they'd not let you leave once they had you with them. You'd never be able to come back to the Manor, or see me, Lucius, Severus or Draco."

"What about Aunt Cissy?"

The Dark Lord rolled his eyes. He had thought she'd been a given, but obviously not. "Or her, though I'm not certain of that. I don't think they dislike her quite as much, as she's the cousin of one of your parents' friends."

"Is she?"

"Yes. Her cousin's name is Sirius Black. He and your father didn't get along well with Severus, when they were students."

"Oh..." Harry wondered if that was why Uncle Severus sometimes seemed cold to him. He knew from the photo album that he looked an awful lot like his dad.

"So, you see, it would be best if you didn't meet them quite yet. Perhaps once your parents wake up?"

“Yeah, that makes sense. Then Mom and Dad could see how happy I am here and tell their friends not to take me away."

Whilst Lucius and Voldemort were fairly certain that would never happen, they agreed with the boy to keep him from the truth as they saw it. "We're hoping it will be quite soon, in the next week or so."

"That would be nice. Maybe we can bring a camera and I can take pictures for Draco."

Just then said blond entered the room, looking in much better spirits than he had earlier. "Take pictures of what?"

Harry hadn't heard Draco enter the room, and hadn't seen him either, as he was sitting with his back to the door. "Oh, my parents."

"Don't you have tons of pictures of them?"

"Yeah, but they're all old ones. We're going to go see them soon, and I'm going to take pictures for you, since you'll be at school."

Draco frankly thought it wholly unnecessary. In his opinion, when you've seen one picture of someone, you've seen them all. "Oh, you don't have to. I know what they look like."

Harry frowned. He didn't understand why someone wouldn't want to look at a newer picture and compare it with an older one. He liked pictures, because they made him feel like he was still in the moment of time when they were captured. But if Draco didn't want to see any pictures of his parents, then he wouldn't show them to him. He'd keep them all for himself. "Oh...okay. I won't, then."

Lucius gave his son a look, though Draco pretended that he didn't understand it. He was getting a little tired of always tiptoeing around the other boy's feelings. If he didn't get used to people saying things he didn't like, then he'd always be effected by it.

Harry tried to give Draco a smile, but he was afraid it came out a bit sharper than he intended. "So, are you all packed, now?"

Draco didn't seem to realize, or ignored it if he did. "Yes. I have everything I should need for this year."

A little unsure of himself now, Harry asked, "Um...are you still going to take pictures for me?" He didn't know if Draco's attitude towards pictures of Harry’s parents were indicative of his feelings towards all pictures.

Draco rolled his eyes. He hated it when Harry went all timid. Time to rouse him out of his funk. "Of course I am, stupid."

There was a gleam in his eye that told Harry that it was a gentle rib and not a malicious jibe. Harry stuck his lip out in a pout, and before Draco's father could reprimand the blond, Harry responded. "I'm not stupid, stupid."

Draco's lip quirked in a smirk and felt his heart swell at Harry’s participation. "Who are you calling stupid, dummy?"

"Takes one to know one!"

"Still makes you one." Draco stuck out his tongue at Harry and began walking away. Harry abandoned his half-melted sundae and followed him out of the room.

"So, it makes you one too!"

Lucius and Voldemort shared a look that said they thought both boys were nutters. But it was a fond look that also conveyed how much they cared about them.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Later that night, Harry crept into Draco's room and watched him sleep fitfully. He wanted to reach out and smooth the hair back that was stuck to his face, but he didn't want to wake the other boy up. Draco was so pretty, for a boy. His moon-pale hair shimmered in the faint light of the fire. His pale cheeks slightly rosy in sleep. And his lips petal-soft, the bottom one stuck out in a slight pout. Harry found himself transfixed. He felt something in his chest that he'd never felt before. It was warm and fluttery and made him feel strange. The warm, fluttery feeling made him want to bend down and press his slightly-chapped lips to Draco's.

Before he knew it, he was. His hair had grown a little longer over the last several months he'd lived at the Manor and now it brushed against Draco's cheeks has he hovered over him. His lips pressed softly to the smooth ones beneath them. It was a chaste peck, but it still filled Harry with a warmth he had never known before. When he straightened, it was to see Draco's eyes open and staring at him.

"What was that for?" the pale boy whispered.

"I just wanted to," Harry replied.

"Oh."

"Draco...?" Harry was overwhelmed with sadness all of a sudden. His mind whirled with thoughts of the day to come, and the months after that. He realized that this was his last night with Draco for some time. He didn't want it to end quite yet.

"Yeah?" Draco responded softly, voice still quiet with sleep.

"Would you mind...would you mind if I stayed here tonight? I'm scared of tomorrow."

Draco blinked his stormy grey eyes and responded, pulling the covers back so that Harry could lie next to him, "Sure. But, why are you afraid of tomorrow? This isn't the first time I've gone off to school."

Harry blushed and snuggled close to Draco, laying his head on the other boy's chest. "I know it's not...but...I didn't care about you this much when you left before. I was alone then... I don't...I don’t know how I'm going to survive while you're gone..."

The blond rolled his eyes, thinking Harry was being overly-dramatic. "Don't worry about that, Harry. Just because I'm not here physically doesn't mean that we'll be apart. I told you I'll send pictures and write. I'll do it every day. You can tell yourself that I'm just busy with lessons in another part of the house, and it won't feel as if I'm so far away. Plus, you're going to go see your parents."

Harry wrinkled his brow, not really understanding how going to see his parents would make him miss Draco any less. "It just...won't be the same. I'll miss you. And when I want to talk in the middle of the night, there won't be anyone here that I can crawl in bed with."

"Harry..." Draco didn't know what to say to that.

The younger boy took a deep breath and put a name to the warm, fluttery feeling he had first felt a little while ago. "I...I love you, Draco. And you're going away."

"I told you we're too old for that, Harry," Draco misunderstood.

"No, I mean it. I love you. I've never...never felt this way about anyone before. You mean everything to me. And that...that's why I'm scared of tomorrow. You're going to go away and forget about me. And I'll still be here, still loving you..."

Draco was shocked. He'd never had anyone confess something like that to him before. Not even Pansy, who always said she was going to get her parents to draw up a marriage contract with him. He wasn't sure how he should feel about the situation. "Harry..."

"I don't want you to go, Draco." Harry began crying softly, not used to feeling so much emotion. He clung to Draco and Draco let him, petting his hair gently like his mother used to do to him when he used to cry.

"Harry...I'm never going to forget you.” Here Draco paused and took a deep breath, saying something he wasn't completely certain he felt. “I...I love...you too. Don't tell a soul I said that...I'll deny it."

That got Harry to laugh, though he still had tears in his eyes. "I won't tell anyone...they wouldn't believe me anyways."

Draco was grateful that Harry wasn't offended. "Exactly."

Harry whispered to himself, though he didn't realize Draco was close enough that he could still hear, "But I'll know. And that's all that matters."

The older boy smiled and dropped a chaste kiss on the top of Harry’s head. "Hush and go to sleep, you sappy fool."

The younger boy smiled and snuggled into his beloved's chest. "You love me that way, remember."

Draco rolled his eyes in the semi-darkness. "Don't remind me."

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Part 15 – Chapter 13 - Sept. 17, 1992

It had been hard to say goodbye to Draco that next morning when he'd left the house to head to King's Cross station and school. But Harry'd managed it without any tears, just a little frown on his face. Draco had promised again to write him every day and take plenty of pictures. It helped to know that Draco would miss him too.

A little over two weeks after that sorrow-filled goodbye, the date that Severus told them would be perfect to go and see James and Lily had come. Voldemort had bundled up Harry and had cast a spell on him that made him look like someone else. Harry wondered why it was necessary when they were just going to apparate straight there, but “Uncle 'Volo” said that it was "just in case".

The trip to the continent was quick. Just a thought and then they were there. They had to walk a little ways, though, from where they appeared because there were a lot of people walking around. The hospital was large and beige, made of some kind of rough stone. Harry ducked a little closer to his “uncle” so that he wouldn't get lost in the throng of people moving in and out of the building.

Inside was very bright and white. The floor was some kind of shiny tile, and the walls were all smooth. Uncle Marvolo walked up to the lady behind the desk and asked for the Potters. She gave him a skeptical frown. When he said that he'd arranged it with Albus Dumbledore, she turned the frown into a smile and told them the way immediately. Voldemort muttered as they walked away about “easily trusting bints.”

They had to ride in a strange metal box to get there. It didn't take long for the doors to open again on the floor they had been directed to go to. They stepped out of the box and looked both ways down the corridor. After a few moments to get their bearings, they moved off down the corridor towards room 419.

There wasn't anyone moving around when they entered the room. The only occupants were the lady and gentleman lying on the twin beds in the back center of the room. Harry eyed them eagerly from his place squashed against Voldemort.

The dark-haired man gave the child a faint smile and urged, "Go ahead. Take a look."

Harry disengaged himself quickly from the man and walked closer to the woman's bed first. She had dark red hair and a pale, smooth face. She looked too young to be his mother, but he knew from the pictures his Uncle Severus had given him that she was. He let his hand hover over her face for a moment before allowing himself to touch her. He tensed for a second, not sure what would happen. But nothing did. She kept on breathing as slowly as she had been before. He stood there touching her face for a while before moving on.

Next, he walked over to the man. He knew from looking in the mirror that he looked like a younger version of this man. They had the same messy black hair, the same nose. And he knew from the pictures that the only big difference in them appearance-wise were the eyes. His father had hazel eyes, bordering on brown, while his own eyes were brilliant green...like his mother's. He smiled as he touched the man's face as he did his mother's. Once more he tensed to see what would happen. And again, nothing did.

He stepped back after a several long heartbeats and pulled the small camera out of his pocket. It was a wizard camera, Aunt Narcissa had told him. It took pictures that would move in their frames. He liked the idea of that. Even though his parents didn't move right now, they would eventually. He quickly snapped a few pictures of their sleeping faces and the soft rise and fall of their chests. He wanted to be able to look back on these and remind himself that they were still alive. Finally, he was done. It made him a bit sad to stay here, and he was ready to go home.

He walked back over to Uncle Marvolo and took his hand. "I'm done, now. I'd like to go home."

Voldemort gave the child another small smile and pulled him close. He was a bit uncomfortable being in the same room as the people he had cursed to be here. It made guilt well up in him and war with his pleasure at having Harry to himself—for the most part. He was more than happy to return to the Manor so soon after arriving.

"Okay."

As they left the room, the Dark Lord stopped a witch in a pink uniform. He had Harry wait just a little ways away, telling him he wanted to ask about his parents' condition. What he was really doing was making up a story about how he was a healer and had brewed a potion that he thought would work to wake them up. With the potion was the ingredients list and the instructions on how to brew the potion, written in his own hand instead of Severus' –who had actually developed the potion. The witch looked surprised, but took it anyways, assuring him that she'd give it to them right away. Smiling softly, Voldemort walked back to his young charge and escorted him out of the building and back to the Manor.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Running quickly to her superior, the witch presented the potion and the notes. She relayed her story as concisely as possible and waited for instructions. A few of the senior healers discussed their options briefly, but ultimately decided to administer the potion to the sleeping couple. There wasn't anything on the list of ingredients that could harm them, and they'd had an expert test the potion to make sure it was what it was said to be. Everything checked out.

Just as they were giving James the last of the potion, Sirius and Remus returned from their errands.

"What's going on in here?" Sirius asked angrily.

Usually, the staff left the Potters alone, having already determined there was nothing they could do. Remus was also tense, but he said nothing. He could tell that they had just administered a potion to the couple, but was sure they weren't trying to kill them. It wouldn't make sense for them to kill a couple who single handedly were making sure the place stayed open.

The lead healer moved away from the bed and stood in front of the pair who had just entered. "Not more than twenty minutes ago an anonymous healer came here with a young child to see the Potters. It had been cleared with Albus Dumbledore, according to the welcome witch. They stayed for a short time, then as they were leaving, the anonymous healer gave Healer Redstone here a potion to administer to the Potters. He said it was something he had developed after hearing about their case. We checked it out, verified its ingredients and properties, and deemed it safe. We've just administered it and--"

"Healer, look!" One of the mediwizards by the beds cried, a shaking hand pointing at Lily Potter.

The lead healer turned and moved swiftly back to the bed indicated. Lily Potter's eyes were fluttering open slowly. In the bed next to hers, James Potter was moaning softly. With baited breath everyone waited to see if they were going to wake fully. It took less than a minute for both Potters to have their eyes open and looking around the room.

"Where are we?" Lily asked.

"I feel like I've been trampled by a hippogriff," complained James.

Sirius and Remus clapped hands over their mouths before rushing forward, knocking healers and mediwizards aside.

"James, Lily, you're awake!" Remus smiled happily.

"Prongs! I can't believe it..." Sirius whispered.

"We were asleep?" James asked.

"For how long?" Lily added.

"Yes, you were," Remus answered.

"Eleven years," Sirius replied.

"Eleven years?!" Cried James.

"Harry?!" Gasped Lily.

Sirius and Remus looked down at the floor, not sure how to tell their best friends that their only son was dead.

"Lils...I'm so sorry," Sirius said, pain lancing through his chest once more at the thought of the lost child.

Remus was teasing the hem of his shabby coat. "We just...didn't get there in time."

"Dumbledore...he said that it was too gruesome to see," Sirius continued.

Remus finished, "He had already taken little Harry's body away before we got there."

"My baby..." Lily's heart was broken. He son, her precious baby boy.

"Prongslet..." James felt as if he were in physical pain. His pride and joy, his only child.

"We're so sorry..."

James' face was set in a grimace. "No, Sirius, Remus, it's not your fault. You couldn't have stopped that madman from entering our home."

"I just don't get it...why did he spare us?" Lily whispered, confusion plain on her face.

Sirius answered even though he wasn't sure Lily was even asking for an answer, "'m not sure..."

"Why couldn't he have spared Harry?" Remus asked, feeling as though that was the real question. Everyone was quiet for a long moment as the question hung in the air. It was their moment of silence for the child lost. "We should let Dumbledore know you're awake."

James had a sudden feeling in the depths of his being, a feeling like that wouldn't be the best idea. These hunches sometimes came to him when he was still working as an Auror. Usually, they were right. "No, not just yet. Has he been checking in?"

"No, not really. We get owls every now and then asking if there's been any change, but it's not very often," Remus answered, a puzzled look on his face. He didn't understand why James wouldn't want to alert Dumbledore right away.

"Yeah, maybe once every six months or so," Sirius added.

"Really? Then let's wait for the next one before we say anything. I just...have a feeling..."

Sirius and Remus knew what that meant. They'd learned to trust James' feelings during the first war with Voldemort. "Sure, we won't say a word."

Lily looked around the room and didn't recognize anything. They certainly weren't in St. Mungo's. "Where are we, anyways?"

Sirius wrinkled his brow as he tried to remember. "Oh, somewhere on the continent. I don't really know, exactly. Dumbledore set all this up."

"So far away from home... St. Mungo's has special wards for this sort of thing...I wonder why he didn't just send us there..." The red-head queried, perplexed. Things just weren't adding up.

"He said something about having us take you to a special hospital...something to do with getting better care, less fans..."

James frown and exclaimed, "What a load of bollocks and tosh! He just wanted us out of the way."

It was Remus' turn to furrow his brow in confusion. "Out of the way of what?"

"That...I can't say. I just know this wasn't for our own good.” James thought again for a moment, trying to piece things together. “You said that you...didn't see Harry's body?"

Sirius tried to get his brain to make the same mental leaps as his best friend's had. "No...Dumbledore said it was too gruesome...didn't want to make us look at that."

Lily's brow crinkled this time. "But why would it be gruesome? Wouldn't Voldemort simply have cast the killing curse?"

Sirius and Remus shared a look. They were starting to doubt too. "He didn't say. Actually, he didn't say that it was Voldemort who had done it. Said it might be the work of Death Eaters unknown."

"We...also didn't bury the body," Remus said slowly, suddenly feeling very sick and very foolish. "We didn't have time to, or so we thought then. He had us bring you here straight away...and we never got back for that. We've been following the news as best we can, though...and there was no mention we could find of his funeral."

"Then maybe he's still alive," James said with conviction. Somehow, he knew he was right.

Lily's face settled into a determined frown. "Get us out of here so that we can find our baby."

Sirius smiled. "Of course, Lils. Straight away."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Harry went up to his room as soon as they returned from the hospital. It was nice that he got to see his parents again, but he was still sad that they couldn't talk to him. He lay quietly on his bed—having had a house elf find him a step stool so that he could get in on his own—and stared up at the ceiling. He wondered how long they'd be out for. It would be nice if they could wake up for Christmas, or even his next birthday.

He didn't really remember his mother much, or his father at all, but he still missed them. It was great, really, living at the Manor with all of his Uncles and Aunt Narcissa...but it just wasn't the same as being with his parents. A painful thought struck him, then. What if his parents did wake up? He'd probably go live with them...and he wouldn't be with Draco anymore. He wouldn't be able to cry into Uncle Marvolo's shoulder anymore, or talk about etiquette and deportment with Uncle Lucius. And Uncle Severus wouldn't be able to give him those potions lessons.

But...maybe he'd get to go to Hogwarts if his parents woke up. He'd be able to be with Draco then...

He decided that he didn't know how to feel about things. On the one hand, he wanted everything to stay the same. On the other, he wished his parents could be with him. 'If only they could come live with us too, then that would solve everything...'

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Part 16 – Chapter 14 - Sept. 18, 1992

It was the day after they had woken up and Lily and James were a bit tired from their trip from the continent back to England. They were still too weak from years of sleep to apparate, so they had taken the floo to the coast, and decided to sail from there. It was a long journey—though not as long as it would have taken a Muggle to travel the same way—but well worth it. They were awake now, and able to search for their son. Dumbledore didn't know anything was different, and so they wouldn't have to worry about his interference.

Everyone had their own ideas for where to start looking, but eventually they decided that first, they needed a place to crash and recharge. Remus still had a place near Godric's Hollow, but no one really wanted the reminder. Sirius suggested his parents' old home in London, at Grimmauld Place. It hadn't been used for years, and no one would think that Sirius would want to revisit it, what with the falling out he'd had so many years before with his parents. The only place Lily and James had was the house in Godric’s Hollow that was all but destroyed, so that was obviously out as well. With only one real, quick, choice they headed off.

The trip to London was a bit long and uncomfortable, but it gave the group time to rest and think over their options for finding Harry. All of them wanted to start looking right away, but once they actually stepped foot into Grimmauld Place, they realized that if they were going to live in the musty old home, it would need some work.

No one had been in the house since Sirius’ parents had died, and while there was a house elf in attendance, he was old and didn’t actually clean anything so much as he looked at the old artifacts and mumbled to himself. Sirius tried asking, telling, and yelling at the creature to get him to do some actual work, but nothing made a difference on the creature’s behavior. As far as the little thing was concerned, his true masters were dead, and the disgraced son wasn’t worthy.

In the end, each adult had to find some cleaning supplies and tackle the mess on their own. There were several floors in the town home, so each adult took one and got to work. Remus was on the top level. Up there was attic space and a few small bedrooms. Much of the fabric up there bore holes and doxie nests. Removing the nests and fixing the holes took Remus hours. But once he was finally finished, the place looked much better, and was definitely habitable.

Sirius was settled on the floor below Remus. This was the level his old bedroom was on. There were a lot of memories on this floor, and most of them weren’t good. The hardest part about cleaning this floor for him, however, is when he got to his brother Regulus’ room. Regulus had died years ago, at only 18 years old. He had been in the service of the Dark Lord, and went missing one day. No one ever found out what had happened to him, but he was presumed dead. For Sirius, going into his brother’s room was almost sacrilegious. Even though Sirius and Regulus had different ideals, they were still brothers. Sirius loved Regulus more than just about anyone else. He hated that his brother was so taken with the Dark Lord. As far as he was concerned, it was the Dark Lord’s fault that Regulus was dead.

James had taken the second floor. On that floor, there was only one bedroom, but many other rooms used for entertaining guests. The bedroom had belonged to Orion and Walburga Black, Sirius’ parents. James didn’t really want to go into their room, but it needed to be cleaned, so he bit the bullet and just got it over with. It didn’t take him too long to get it livable, so he quickly moved on to other rooms, such as the drawing room and the library. Those rooms were interesting, and filled with many Black artifacts. Some of them were emanating dark magic, but most of them were of historic value. James carefully contained the contaminated things, but didn’t know where to move them to. He left the library quickly and walked over to the staircase.

“Sirius!!”

Sirius was trapped in some rather painful memories of his time in his family home, so he didn’t hear James right away. His mind was being tortured by scenes of his mother’s cruelty, of his father’s indifference, of his dear brother. Tears slowly leaked out of his eyes as he remembered every painful moment.

“Sirius?” James, having given up on yelling up to Sirius, climbed the stairs and went to find his friend. Sirius was just standing in the middle of Regulus’ room, staring off into space. James walked up next to him quietly, so as to not startle the man, and gently placed his hand on the other man’s shoulder.

The tortured man jumped slightly and blinked his eyes, startled despite James’ attempt at sparing him. Sirius looked around for a moment to get his bearings, then turned to his friend.

“James?”

“Hey. Sorry to bother you, Siri, but I found some dark artifacts in the library. I contained them, but I didn’t know where I should store them until we can get them to the ministry.”

Sirius shook the last of the memories from his head before he responded. “Oh, um…I guess we can store things like that in the attic. Remus should be up there right now. Go ahead and hand them off to him. He’ll make sure they are safe up there.”

James smiled at his friend. “Thanks, Padfoot. Are you all right, though? You seemed pretty haunted when I came in.”

Sirius gave James a tight smile, but answered as positively as he could. “Yeah, of course. I’m fine. You know, it’s just this house…”

“That I do. If you feel like talking, you know where I’ll be.”

“I’ll let you know.”

James wasn’t so sure Sirius would actually come to him if he needed someone to talk to, but he could pretend as well as anyone. He gave Sirius a last pat on the shoulder, then went back to work.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Lily had been given the ground floor to take care of. The only things down there were a parlor, powder room, and the kitchen. It didn’t take her much time to get everything cleaned up. She was quite handy with household spells, and it was mostly dust and cobwebs she needed to remove. There was one doxie nest in the parlor, but she took care of that without any incidents.

Because she got things taken care of so quickly, she decided to make lunch for everyone. There wasn’t much in the house by way of food, so she popped out for a bit to grab a few things. By the time the guys were done with their tasks, there was a platter of sandwiches and pasties on the table, and a pitcher of cold juice waiting.

After they had eaten their fill, they revisited the idea of where to start searching for Harry.

"Well, if you were going to kidnap and hide a child, where would you put him?" Sirius asked.

"Someplace no one would look, obviously," Remus answered.

"But, where would that be?" He asked again.

"I don't know..." He answered again.

James rolled his eyes. "Well, let's go about it this way...where would be places that someone would look?"

"At Hogwarts," Lily answered at once.

"With someone in the Order," Remus supplied.

"With us..." Sirius said gloomily.

"Well, obviously that one's out," James snapped.

"Sorry...just miss him..." Sirius responded.

James' face softened. "I know, we all do. But dwelling on it isn't going to help us locate him."

Lily, not liking the way the conversation had turned, suggested, "Why don't we ask someone?"

"Like who? Dumbledore has everyone in his pocket," James said cynically.

"Not everyone..." she hinted.

"Who?" he queried.

With a smile she answered, “Minerva...she stands up for what is right before she stands up for what Albus says..."

"That's true," he replied slowly.

"And Severus," she added.

That got a stronger reaction out of her husband. "No, absolutely not. I am not going to bring Snivellus into this."

Lily frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "James, come on. If he knows anything about where Harry is, wouldn't you want to know?"

The messy-haired man sighed. "Only because it's Harry."

"Why don't you write Minerva, and I'll write Severus," she placated.

"Fine. But only tell him the bare minimum."

With a winsome smile, she replied, "Whatever you say, dear."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Dear Minerva,  
I'm sure you'll be shocked to see who this is from. I'd be shocked myself if I weren't in the position I'm in now. But now isn't the time to let our emotions run away with us. Lily and I have just awoken and I had a bad feeling that someone close to us is not being truthful. I wonder if you know anything about that? If you feel like sharing, please respond immediately.

\- J.P.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Dearest Severus,  
It's been an age since we've spoken, hasn't it? I know it must come as a shock to be hearing from me now. It was a miracle, really. One minute we're asleep for eleven years, the next some 'anonymous healer' has found a cure. Strange, how those things work, isn't it? Anyways, that's not really what I wanted to speak about, at least not right now. There is a more pressing matter that we need to deal with. My son. Please, tell me all you know on the matter. I don't remember much from that night, and I'm sure you can fill in the blanks.

Thank you, Severus.

\- Lily

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

James,  
I sincerely hope you are somewhere safe. Things are not as they should be. I don't know much, only that strange things have been happening around Hogwarts for the last eleven years. I was surprised when he didn't show up for classes last year, and I wasn't the only one. But the person who should have been most upset seemed as happy as a clam. I recommend speaking with Severus, as I'm sure he could tell you much more than I about the situation. If I'm not mistaken, it was he who arranged for this conversation to be possible.

\- Minerva

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Dearest Lily,  
May I first tell you how irrevocably sorry I am. If not for me, this situation would not have happened. I was a fool in my youth and made more mistakes than I can count. Now, however, I wish to remedy the situation. I know much about that which you asked. I'm afraid that I can't tell you much in such an insecure method. Meet me in Wiltshire for Christmas and all will be made clear. I know the wait is long, but it will be worth it in the end. It is so good to hear from you, Lily. You will never know how good.

-Severus

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Lily finished reading her letter and set it delicately on the table. Severus had been her dearest friend since childhood. His defection to the Dark side had hurt her immeasurably. But now, perhaps, things could be different. If Dumbledore wasn't who he said he was, perhaps neither was Voldemort. She looked away from the crisp parchment and up at her husband. "James, what did yours say?"

"Minerva recommended speaking to...Severus. She says that he's the reason we're awake now and that he mostly likely has the details we want."

"I had thought so. 'Anonymous healer with a potion'...smacks of Severus. He told me that he could inform me of much, but we have to wait until Christmas. He says it's not safe to tell me through owl post."

James frowned unhappily. "Christmas? And how is he going to tell you at Christmas? Did you tell him where we are?"

Lily felt that sometimes, her husband was a real idiot. "No, James. Keep your pants on. He told me to meet him in Wiltshire."

"Where in Wiltshire?"

She looked sheepish. "Um...he didn't say."

"Then how in the hell are we supposed to meet him there?" James yelled, though not as loudly as he could have. He was frustrated, not angry, and he didn't want to upset his wife.

"I think it was a clue, as much as a location," Lily chanced.

"A clue?"

When he didn't shout again, she continued. "Yes...he must have thought I'd be able to figure out the exact location. We have until Christmas, after all, and I was the brightest witch of our age..."

James frowned again, but knew that if anyone could figure it out, it was her.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Lucius,  
I'm writing to inform you that we will be having a couple of extra mouths at Christmas Dinner. Please inform the Dark Lord that everything went according to plan. And make sure Harry is dressed well before they arrive. It wouldn't do to make a poor impression. I'm sure that Our Lord will be able to fill in anything you need clarifying.

\- Severus

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Part 17 – Chapter 15 - Dec. 24, 1992

Harry was in heaven. Draco had been home for about four days now and they'd spent almost all of their time in bed together, talking and cuddling. The fire in the hearth was roaring, keeping them toasty warm. Draco hadn't complained even once about all the snuggling Harry wanted to do, which made Harry think that he had been missed just as much.

"Draco...I love you."

Draco smiled and placed a chaste kiss on the top of Harry's messy head. "Love you too, Harry," he replied lazily.

"Did you miss me while you were away?"

"Of course I did. There's no one at Hogwarts that's as fun to tease as you are."

"Really?" For some reason, that thought made Harry very happy. He was special to Draco, one of a kind.

"Really," Draco assured, pulling the smaller boy closer to him.

"Good. 'cause I really missed you...like, really really. Every day was torture."

"It surely wasn't that bad," Draco said, wanting to hear exactly how much Harry had missed him. Over the last several months his affection for the raven-haired boy had grown. Every day was hard on him, having to pretend like the ache wasn't killing him, like he didn't wish Harry was with him.

"Oh, but it was,” Harry assured. “Aunt Cissy had her parties every day, and Uncle Lucius had his meetings at the Ministry, and Uncle 'Volo had his strange meetings too... And you and Uncle Sev'rus were away at Hogwarts. I only had Dobby to talk to... It was lonely and torture and I hated it."

Draco smiled into the mop of hair. "I'm sorry, Harry. But, you know I can't just quit school."

"I know, Draco. I just...hate that it's so lonely without you." And he really did hate it. He didn't really wish that Draco would quit school. If anything, he wished that he could go to school with Draco. They could be in the same house, in the same dorm. He'd see him in every class, at every meal, and then at night they could sleep next to each other.

"At least you haven't found someone to replace me," Draco teased lightly.

"And how would I do that? It's not like I go anywhere..." Harry complained.

"I know, but it's still nice."

"I could say the same to you. And you're actually able to meet people...someone might be able to replace me..." Harry had the cutest pout.

"No one could replace you, stupid."

"Are you so sure, dummy?"

"Yes, imbecile. You, my dearest Harry, are one of a kind."

Harry grinned from ear to ear. "Good."

"I told you I wouldn't forget you," Draco whispered.

"That you did," Harry agreed.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

They had spent the last few months researching Wiltshire and the people who lived there. Lily felt sure that she had gotten the place right after she narrowed it down to two options.

"So, are we sure on this? We've got to be there tomorrow..." James asked, still nervous that they might somehow be wrong.

"James, I'm certain. I've checked with Minerva and everything. He goes there for Christmas every year."

"But why do we have to meet him there?"

"I'm sure it's a trap! He wants to finish us off where his Lord failed," Sirius cried dramatically.

"Sirius, be serious. Why would he have brewed the potion to wake us up if he wanted us dead? And no more eggnog for you, it makes you stupid," James retorted. Remus said something that sounded suspiciously like, “It's not the eggnog.”

"He's stupid, and complicated plans are more his style?" Sirius offered.

"Siri, stop while you're behind..." Remus chastised his lover.

"Thank you, Remus."

"Sure, Lils."

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Part 18 – Chapter 16 - Dec. 25, 1992

The quartet stood in front of the massive wrought iron gate and stared. Not only was the gate an intricate thing of beauty, but the massive Manor beyond it was also. When James attempted to put out a hand to open the gate, a large face materialized out of the iron and addressed them.

"Who goes there?"

Lily, being the one who was most familiar with charms, answered fearlessly. "The Potters plus two."

The gate took a moment to stare at the entire party before it answered back. "You may enter, but beware. Any violence will not be tolerated. Ignore this warning and find yourselves in dire straits indeed." The face disappeared and the gate swung open.

The party shared a couple of looks of astonishment as they walked up the crushed marble path. On either side of it were tall hedges, neatly manicured, and beyond could be heard the sound of peacocks.

"How pretentious," Sirius muttered to himself. Remus, with his enhanced hearing, caught it and swatted him on the back of the head to shut him up.

The front door was just as grand as the rest of the place. Highly polished ebony containing intricate scroll work and extremely fine details, and reflective enough to allow the group to make sure they were presentable before a small house elf with bulging eyes opened it.

"Right this ways, please," said the tiny elf.

They followed it deeper into the house and into the drawing room, which was already inhabited by four people, three of whom looked uncannily similar. A young blond boy, looking about twelve, was seated on a chintz armchair next to the large Christmas tree in the center of the room. On the damask settee across from the chair were two adult blondes, a man and a woman. The man they recognized from his appearances in the Ministry of Magic. The woman was unfamiliar to all but Sirius. And standing now, striding over to them, was Severus Snape.

Once he was only a meter away, he stopped. Looking at James first, he bowed slightly, doing his best to remain polite in the face of his enemy. It wouldn't do to alienate the man now, when that could mean hurting the boy he'd come to care for. "Potter, welcome." Next, he turned to Lily. The look on his face grew much more pleasant. "Lily, always a pleasure." She smiled at him. He returned it before turning to Sirius. "Black." He did his best to remain civil, but he wasn't going to be as pleasant to the mutt as he was to Potter. He didn't matter as much to Harry, so he could matter the least to him. Last, he regarded Lupin. After a moment's quiet appraisal he said, "Lupin. I think I could brew you something to take the edge off." And that was all.

He stepped back and to the side, gesturing with his far hand for the group to enter further into the room. He preceded them, giving introductions as he went. "You may or may not know Lucius Malfoy and his wife Narcissa. They attended Hogwarts with us, only a several years ahead."

Lucius gave a curt smile and nodded, while Narcissa said softly, “Cousin, it's been a while.” Sirius' face looked a bit pinched and he didn't respond.

Next Severus motioned towards Draco. "This is my godson, Draco." Draco stood from his chair and closed the gap between himself and the other adults.

“Mr. and Mrs. Potter, how nice to meet you.” Turning to Sirius and Remus, he said, “Mr. Lupin, a pleasure. Mr. Black...may I call you Sirius? We're family, after all.”

Sirius' pinched look grew even worse, as if he'd sucked a particularly nasty lemon. Remus elbowed him in the ribs and the look eased somewhat. Sirius even tried on a smile, thought it was clearly more of a grimace. “Sure,” he replied. Draco wasn't so naïve that he took the statement at face value. He could tell as well as anyone that Sirius wanted nothing of the sort, but the man next to him kept him from saying that. He took a mental note to observe the sandy-haired man more closely. He might learn a few things.

With introductions over, everyone took a seat—Lucius and Narcissa back in their places on the settee, Draco once more in his expensive chair, and the others scattered on the other furniture. James was the first to get to the point. "You told us that you had information on our son. We know he's alive and that Dumbledore has done something with him. We want to know what and where he is so that we can get him back."

Severus looked coolly at James. The other man hadn't exactly been rude, but he certainly hadn't been polite, either. "Yes, I did mention that I knew quite a bit about what has happened with young Harry. And I do. But, before I answer any of your questions, you'll need to answer mine."

Sirius bristled like a pissed off cat and spat, "Why should we, Snivellus?"

Remus, out of habit, reached out and smacked Sirius on the back of the head with a look that clearly said "Enough!"

Severus inclined his head to Remus and continued. "I will admit that I have been helping keep Harry safe for the last year. And in so doing, have come to care much about his well-being. Therefore, I will not do anything that I think will jeopardize it. Hence, my questions."

"Get on with it, then," the shaggy black-haired man growled. He was very near to getting another smack to the head when Severus raised a delicate black eyebrow. Sirius took a deep breath and swallowed thickly. "Sorry. You were saying?"

"Yes, I was saying that I have a few questions. First, how do you feel about Dumbledore at this moment?"

Lily answered first. "Betrayed. He was our mentor, supposed to help us as we helped him. But he sent us as far away from England as he safely could and took our son and hid him away somewhere. He tried to make us believe that he was dead. I can't forgive someone who does that."

James spoke next. "I would like to know what he's playing at. Of course, no matter what he says, I don't think I could ever trust him completely again." The residents of the Manor took note of the exact word choice of the sentence. The felt as though it might be important later.

Severus looked at Sirius and Remus. "Oh, um, well," Sirius began. He hadn't thought he'd be expected to answer. "He can go hang, for all I care. He told me and Remus that our little Prongslet was dead, and sent us off to the continent as if we were in exile. Made me think my own Godson was lost to me forever so I didn't even look...If I ever get my hands on him..." he trailed off with a growl. He was imaging the most gruesome torture he could and thought it was too good for the man.

Remus rounded them out. "While not as violent as Sirius, I must quite agree. Dumbledore has a lot to answer for. He lost four very good members of his Order the day he lied about Harry."

Severus, satisfied with the answers—for the most part—inclined his head. "Good. Next question. If you were to get Harry back, what would you do?"

All four people said at once, "Keep him safe." There was steel in all eight eyes.

Severus inclined his head again. While not exactly what he had been expecting, and not as elaborate as he had hoped, it was a good answer. "Next, if Harry was happy where he was and didn't want to leave, would you make him?"

"If it wasn't a safe place, then of course. I love my son dearly, Severus, you must know that. I want him to be happy, more than I want him by my side."

"I never doubted you, Lily." It was clear who he did doubt.

James swallowed thickly. "It would be...hard for me...to let my son stay in a place that wasn't with me. I've already lost eleven years with him...I don't want to lose even a moment more if I can help it. But...I wouldn't want to hurt him, either..."

Severus didn't wait for Sirius and Remus to answer, as their answers really didn't matter. He probably should have, as he noted in hindsight. It would have prevented a lot of tears. "Last question. If it were possible for you to live with your son, not in your own home but where he was comfortable, would you do it?"

Lily and James both answered immediately, "Of course!"

Severus added, "Even if it meant living with people you don't like?"

"Even then. Harry means more to us than our feelings for other people."

"I'd walk through hell and back for my son, Snape."

Severus allowed a faint smile to play across his face. That statement alleviated some doubts the others had about his earlier comment. "I don't doubt you mean that."

Lily asked earnestly, "Can we see him now? Is he here?"

Severus examined the group for another moment before saying, "Draco, why don't you go and retrieve Harry and... his 'Uncle.' We shall test the temerity of their convictions."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You shall soon see," Severus answered mysteriously. He was having fun yanking their chains.

It seemed like as soon as Draco had stepped out of the room he was back, a tall dark-haired, dark-eyed man walking behind him holding a very small child. Sirius was the first to gasp, having recognized the man from things his mother had said and pictures she had shown him. He was shaking his head back and forth in shock and horror, fervently wanting to be wrong. Voldemort smirked at him, but said nothing, holding the boy in his arms tighter. At the same time, Lily was holding back a scream. Her baby, her only child was in the arms of the man who had tried to kill him. It didn't make sense. Why? Why? Remus was the next to realize who the man was, recognizing his scent from that fateful day in Godric's Hollow. His face fell and he looked pained, as if everything he had ever loved had just died. James was last, only a fraction of a second behind the others. He had seen this man before, heard his cold, cruel laugh just before his world went dark. And that man—that monster—was holding his son possessively. No, it couldn't be.

Severus and Lucius both stood and bowed to the man, confirming their suspicions. "My Lord," they intoned respectfully.

"Enough, Severus, Lucius. Perhaps you should explain to our guests what has transpired in the last year...I shall finish up with what happened before that."

James and Sirius had opened their mouths to complain or say something, but Lily clamped her hands down on both of their arms to make them pause. She wanted an explanation.

"On October 31 of last year, we staged a diversion so we could determine the whereabouts of your son. More than anything, we wished to confirm what we suspected had went wrong eleven years before. Lord Voldemort broke into the headmaster's office and found a ledger, in which was written a history of monetary payments to one P. Dursley."

"No," Lily whispered as Severus continued on.

"We spent the next several months looking for this P. Dursley. It was two days before Christmas when we figured it out. We had narrowed down Harry's possible location to two people, either Remus Lupin or Petunia Evans."

"But you had to have known that I didn't have him," Remus had to say, because the thought was just to absurd to let lie.

"No, we couldn't be sure. We felt it was possible that you could have been hiding him and pretending to not know where he was. Take it as a credit to you, how highly we value your intelligence and subterfuge. Regardless, we had to be certain that no stone had been left unturned. However, before we looked into you, we decided to check on Petunia. We did feel she was the better bet, as no one would honestly think that Albus would place a child in her care, especially not a magical child.

“We learned that she had married and had a son of her own. We had a little trouble finding her home, as Albus had made it and the entire street she lives on unplottable. Finally, though, we found her...and Harry. Lord Voldemort entered first and found where Harry was being kept. What we found shocked us to no end. Suffice it to say that we had a...change of heart, so to speak.” Severus paused and considered the two children in the room. It was probably best to say no more in front of them. Draco might already know most of the story, but Harry had no idea. Now was not the time to break it to him. “Draco...would you take Harry to the kitchen, please?"

Draco nodded and waited for the Dark Lord to place Harry on his feet. The boy was quite a bit smaller than the blond child, though technically the same age. He looked over his shoulder at his parents for a moment before turning back to his companion and clinging to him. They left the rooms silently.

After a few moments, Lucius continued the tale. "If you had seen what they had done to him...where they were keeping him...we couldn't not change our minds. We had discovered there was more than one way to fulfill destiny, after all. So, we brought him back to the Manor and cleaned him up, fed him, and provided him with the necessary potions. He has been here ever since. We haven't let him leave the grounds, save for that single trip to visit you the day you recovered."

"That was him, with the 'anonymous healer'?" Lily asked in a hushed whisper, he heart warmed by the thought that her son had come to see her, even if she hadn't been awake to appreciate it.

"Yes. I had promised Harry that I would take him to visit his parents so that he could see them for himself, proof that they weren't dead, and so that he wouldn't be as lonely," Voldemort replied. "I am nothing if not a man of my word."

Sirius scoffed, but said nothing. Lucius frowned but began again. "He has lived with us in the Manor, where he is quite happy, especially when Draco is home for the holidays. I must say, they are quite taken with each other."

James looked a bit queasy, but didn't complain. If his son was happy, that's all that mattered.

Narcissa picked up the story from there. "We have been trying to make up for ten years of neglect and abuse, but it has been difficult. He needs more care than most of us have time to give. But we try, and that's what counts."

Lily finally found her voice, most likely because there was another mother to speak to. "Of course. I thank you, truly, for looking after my son. And I do stand by my earlier statement. I will do anything for my son, even if I'm not completely happy with it. If you had told me the situation before I had seen it for myself, I would have sworn that this was a situation that fell into the category of 'unsafe' that I would remove Harry from immediately. And part of me still wants to...but, Harry doesn't know us...and what kind of mother would I be if I ripped my son from the only loving home he's ever known?"

Sirius finally spoke up and said what he had been dying to say for some time. "No one would blame you, Lils. Your son is living with Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself!"

She frowned at him. "But, Sirius...he's not being hurt...he's safe, and happy..."

"Death Eaters, Lils. Those who go out and torture for a living...and the man who tried to kill your son!"

There was a gasp from the doorway and all turned to look. Harry had the perfect expression of abject horror painted across his face. Sirius would have felt sorry for what he had done, but he fully felt that it was better to get him out of the snake pit than to feed him to the vipers.

A million thoughts were racing through Harry’s head, and none of them were good. "But you said...you said you tried to take care of me...and that you wouldn't let anything bad happen..." Tears sprung to Harry's eyes and his lower lip trembled. Draco was directly behind him, and thus in the perfect place to catch him when he whirled around crying. He held the younger brunette for long minutes while wracking sobs heaved his shoulders.

Even knowing he shouldn't do it, he leveled his best glare at the new adults. "You are all incredibly stupid."

"Draco!" Narcissa chastised, horrified that her well brought up child would speak to adults in that manner.

"I'm sorry Mother, but not this time. They hurt him...more than just about anyone else could. They are fighting over something quite ridiculous. What does it matter that Father follows the Dark Lord? What is that over Harry's happiness? So what if you don't like us...Harry does. He loves us. He was happy...he was smiling just a few minutes ago, delighted that his parents made his wish come true...that they were awake for Christmas. That's all he wanted, and you had to go and foul it up!"

Lucius leveled an even better glare at Draco, ashamed that his son was speaking out of turn. "Draco, that is quite enough!"

Draco shook his head once sharply and replied with a sneer, "No, Father. It's not nearly enough! Harry is alone all the time. His best friend is a house elf and he's happiest when I come home for holidays. He wanted his family to come and live here with us, so that he could have the best of both worlds. It was his most fervent wish. And they broke it. They took this happy day and turned it into something ugly. I can't forgive them for this." Draco turned himself and Harry away from the stunned stares of the adults in the room and called for a house elf. It was Dobby that showed up.

When he saw that Little Master Harry Potter was crying again, he leveled his own glare at the occupants of the room. "Masters should be ashamed of themselves," he said in a squeaky voice before apparating the boys away.

Tears were clinging to Lily's eyelashes and she tried to suppress them. James' face looked pinched. Remus had hung his head, though he knew he hadn't done anything...and that was precisely the problem.

And Sirius...Sirius had the nerve to look smug. "He had to learn the truth sometime. Can you believe that they hadn't told him? It was all a lie," he said to his friends, voice full of satisfaction.

Voldemort stood up at this, just barely suppressing the urge to level his wand at the stupid man. "Don't you dare say another word. I had my own reasons for keeping some things from Harry, not the least of which was the fact that the past didn't matter anymore. But, you are right, in a sense. He did need to know eventually. But I was waiting for the time that he could have taken it better. He's still frail. You have no idea what those Muggles did to him...they broke him...he didn't even know his name when we found him. And you have just single-handedly took the only home he has ever known away from him—for no other reason than you are ignorant,” he took a breath and looked away from the idiot on the sofa. “I don't want to look at you anymore. Lucius, if he is still here when I return, you may not be." With that, he swooshed out of the room towards the stairs.

"I am ashamed to call you my cousin, Sirius," Narcissa sneered at him and picked herself delicately up off the settee and followed the Dark Lord out of the room. Sirius had the audacity to murmur, “Like you always have been,” under his breath as she left.

Lucius stood as well and leveled a deadly glare at the black-haired man. "Black, I highly recommend you leave the premises of your own free will. It will be a lot less humiliating and painful for you that way."

Sirius bristled, but Remus' hand on his shoulder stopped him from saying anything more. It was high time he did something about his mate's big mouth and prejudiced opinions. "Let's just go, Siri. Maybe...maybe we can come back some other time and try again." He didn't hold much hope of being allowed back in the manor, at least not with Sirius.

Severus, for some unknown reason, decided to be magnanimous. "Just so you all are aware, only Black must leave the premises at this time. The rest of you may remain and join us for Christmas dinner."

Remus gave Severus a grateful smile, but it fell as soon as he returned his gaze back to his lover. "Thank you, truly, for the polite offer. But I don't think Sirius has suffered enough yet for his stupidity. And if I'm not there to make sure he does, it won't happen. Another time, perhaps."

Severus nodded and looked towards the Potters. They looked torn. They felt a certain loyalty to their friend, but they weren't yet ready to leave their son. Lily was sure he needed her reassurances much more than Sirius did. "I'm sorry, Sirius, but you really brought this on yourself. We’ll see you later."

"It's Christmas, after all," James added. "A time to be with family."

Sirius looked offended, but he had no time to say anything as Remus was dragging him out of the house roughly.

Lily turned her gaze away from her troublesome friend and back to the one who had always cared about her the most. "Could you show us to Harry's room? I think he might do better if he knows that we don't feel the way Sirius sounded."

Severus allowed a rare, genuine smile. "Of course."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

"Draco...why did he lie to me?"

Draco held Harry close and kissed the top of his head like he had done several times before. "He didn't want to hurt you. He wanted you to judge him for how he treats you now, not a mistake he made so many years ago."

"But...he tried to kill me, Draco...how was that a mistake?"

"Do you remember the stories he used to tell you about the bad man?"

"Yes..."

"Well, here's what I know... When you were just a baby, the bad man was trying to kill the Dark Lord. He didn't like him, and thought that he didn't deserve to have any power. People like my father and Uncle Severus fought alongside the Dark Lord to try and keep hold of their power. The bad man convinced people like your parents and their friends that everyone who was like my family was bad and deserved to die. Everyone in the world thought that, except the people who followed the Dark Lord. A war broke out, and a lot of people died."

"Why did they die?"

"People die in wars, especially when the two sides are totally different. The bad man had told the people that the Dark Lord was doing terrible things to their families and their children. They were afraid of him, and so they joined the side of the bad man. And, because the Dark side was trying to protect itself and keep its power, people died. People on both sides, though the papers only ever told about the people on the Light side."

"What does that have to do with me, though?"

"I'm getting there... Anyways, one day Uncle Severus heard the bad man and a strange woman talking. Whatever the woman said, it was something really bad, because Uncle Severus came straight home and told the Dark Lord right away. The Dark Lord thought that it meant he had to kill you, because you were the only person who could kill him, and the bad man wanted you to do it when you got older.

“But, somehow, he couldn't do it. He tried, and it didn't work. Father and Uncle Severus think it's because he wasn't meant to kill you, that whatever the woman told the bad man, she was wrong. It took them ten years to figure out what probably happened, and the only way they could be sure was to find you. So they looked everywhere for you. And as the years went on, the search grew more frantic. Father hasn't really told me this, but I guessed it on my own; I think that you were meant to change the Dark Lord into something better. You were meant to be a part of our family, and to make things right."

"Why me? I'm just Harry..."

"I keep telling you, Harry. You're special, one of a kind...no one can replace you."

"Is that why everyone is so nice to me? Because they think I'm so special?"

"In a way, yes, but not in the way you think. Since you've been here, no one was thinking about what you can do for us. We fell in love with you because you're you. You're smart, and funny, and sweet...you care about us even though we're strangers and don't always spend time with you. And I love you because you can row with me without hating me, you let me tease you and you tease me right back, you know what to say to me to make me feel better, and you loved me first. I couldn't imagine my life without you."

"Draco..." Harry was very touched at the sentiments that Draco was expressing. He knew it was hard for the older boy to talk about his feelings, but it was nice when he did.

"Harry, don't hate us because the Dark Lord made a mistake when you were a baby...I know it was a really big mistake...but what more can he do to show you he's sorry? He protects you, he took you to see you parents, he gives you gifts and makes sure you feel loved...and I know he does love you. He's not nearly as nice to the rest of us as he is to you... That means something..."

"But..." Harry wasn't so sure that it'd be as easy as all that to forgive everyone for lying to him and keeping secrets.

Voldemort stepped into the room quietly, but stayed quite a ways back from the young boy. He didn't want to frighten him away. "You don't have to believe him, Harry. I'll understand if you can't stand to be around me ever again..."

Just seeing his “Uncle 'Volo” made his tears start all over again. It didn't matter what had happened when he was a baby. Draco was right. All that mattered is how he'd felt in the last year living in this house, with these people. Harry hopped off the bed and ran to him, wanting to feel the love he had always felt when in his arms.

"Harry..."

"Uncle 'Volo!" The child cried for long minutes, the emotions of the day getting to be too much for him. He wasn't used to feeling so much all at once; love and anger and betrayal and sadness and hurt and happiness. He pillowed his head on the Dark Lord's shoulder and let the man hold him and whisper soothing words like he once remembered his mother doing. They were still like that when a few more people entered the room.

Narcissa entered first, walking across the room to pull her son into a hug. She was proud of him for sticking up for Harry, even if she was slightly embarrassed that he spoke like that to adults—they had deserved it. The next arrivals were the other four adults, the Slytherins at the fore. Lucius moved to be near his wife and son. Severus stopped just inside the door, though stepping to the side to make room for the other two to enter. In the rear were James and Lily Potter.

They took a moment to survey the scene. Draco was standing with his parents, looking much calmer than he had when he left the downstairs drawing room. Harry was engulfed in Voldemort's arms, crying on his shoulder. Lily smiled; her son obviously didn't need her as much as she'd thought he might. James wasn't smiling, but he wasn't exactly frowning either. It was hard for him to see another man comforting his son when he should be doing that. But, inside, he was glad his son was being comforted.

Narcissa said softly, "Harry, there are a couple of people here who want to speak to you."

Harry instantly stiffened, sure he was going to be told he had to leave the Manor. He didn't want to leave. He was happy here. Taking a moment to breathe in the warmth of his “Uncle 'Volo,” he turned a bit so that he could see the two people in the doorway. It was his parents, as he thought it might be. His mother was smiling wistfully, and his father was half-frowning. He didn't understand how their facial expressions could be so different.

"Harry, honey..." his mother started, but trailed off as if she didn't know what to say.

His father's expression changed into something much more complicated than it had been before. "Prongslet..."

He felt a wash of love crest over him and he knew things were going to be okay. They weren't going to make him leave. They weren't going to separate him from Draco. He stepped away from “Uncle 'Volo” and towards his parents. "Mum...Dad..."

Lily's smile grew wider and an equally bright smile blossomed on his father's face. They fell to their knees and engulfed him swiftly in their arms, murmuring words of love with tears wetting his hair.

"Oh, Harry...I thought I'd never see you again..."

"Prongslet, I'm so glad you're here and safe and happy. My son..."

Harry was so happy at that moment that he began crying again. He had his parents back, and he got to keep his other family too—his Uncle 'Volo, Uncle Sev'rus, Uncle Lucius, Aunt Cissy...and Draco. Always Draco.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

As soon as they got into the house and had the door closed, Remus rounded on Sirius. "How could you?!"

"Moony...they're Death Eaters..." Sirius whinged.

"You hurt our cub, Sirius! Like Draco said, what are alliances compared to Harry's happiness?"

"But he couldn't be truly happy there if he didn't know the truth! They were lying to him so he would stay," Sirius exclaimed.

"That's just your opinion, Sirius! Use your brain, for once! If Voldemort really wanted to hurt our cub, don't you think he would have done it by now? He's had the last year at least. And would he really have brought James and Lily back if he wanted the whole family out of the way? He can't be all bad if he didn't kill them back then when he had the chance! Even then, he was showing mercy." Remus always had been more tolerant that Sirius.

"He wouldn't have had to show anything if he wasn't a monster, Remus!"

"And how do you know he's a monster? Did Dumbledore tell you that?" Remus got really bitter when he was angry.

"He didn't have to! He tried to kill Harry! When he was only a baby, no less!"

Remus tried to be patient, but with Sirius, sometimes it was impossible. "But, why did he try to kill him? Don't you remember what Dumbledore told Lily and James right before they went into hiding? There was a prophecy."

"So what?"

"If he heard what that prophecy was, that Harry would grow up to kill him...wouldn't you try to eliminate the threat before it could become a threat?"

"I would never attack a child!" Sirius yelled, offended that Remus would even suggest it.

Remus shook his head and turned away, suddenly very tired. "Maybe you're just too blind and immature to understand..."

"Don't change the subject. He wouldn't have needed vanquishing if he wasn't evil."

"Really? Really, Sirius? You don't think that Dumbledore could have seen him as a threat to his power and wanted him dead?"

"Only someone evil would challenge Dumbledore for power anyways."

"Sirius, do you hear how stupid you sound?"

"It's not stupid. Dumbledore has always been on the Light side, since he fought Grindelwald."

"And did you know that he and Grindelwald were lovers, before the end?"

Sirius clenched his fists and his jaw. "You're lying. He would never consort with someone so evil!"

"You just can't look past your own nose! He took so long to defeat him because he loved him. He chose to overlook things for as long as he could. Was Grindelwald really that evil? All we know is what Dumbledore told us, how he chose to spin things. And we've seen firsthand how he's not completely truthful and can be evil himself!"

"If he loved Grindelwald so much, why would he spin things to make him look evil?”

“Power.”

“Whatever. Just because he did something terrible doesn't negate the fact that Voldemort is a Dark Lord. He's raped and pillaged and plundered and murdered without thought."

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Sirius, you're talking about a pirate, not Voldemort. How many of those murders do we know for sure he committed? How many of those disappearances were his fault? Dumbledore has been feeding us lies for years. We know that now. So shouldn't we hear the other side out to figure out what's the truth for ourselves?"

"But Moony..." Sirius whinged again, not wanting to give up his argument. It was a good one, whether Remus thought so or not. It wasn't safe to trust Death Eaters. They always played both sides and got you in the back in the end.

Remus was done arguing. Either Sirius would listen, or he wouldn't. Either way, Remus wasn't going to keep talking. "Sirius, I swear. If you don't get over this then I will never speak to you again. I'll leave you and go keep Severus' bed warm!"

Sirius looked horrified. "You wouldn't...you couldn't...nooooo!"

"I mean it, Sirius. I've put up with you for twenty-one years, but if you insist on being this pig-headed, I'm done."

"Okay, Moony...I'll try. Don't leave me," he whimpered.

Remus reluctantly hugged the shaggy-haired man. Sirius was incredibly stupid sometimes, but at least with the proper incentive, he tried to learn his lesson.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Part 19 – Chapter 17 - Dec. 25, 1992

"Who goes there?" the gate-face asked.

"Sirius Black and Remus Lupin." If Sirius wasn't imagining things, the gate glared at him.

"One moment," it replied after a long pause. It took a very long moment before anything happened, but after ten dozen or so heartbeats they saw someone coming down the path. Much to Sirius' disappointment, it was Severus.

"Black, Lupin. To what do I owe this...pleasure?" If that statement could get any more sarcastic, Sirius didn't know how.

Remus saved him from answering. "Sirius here has decided to stop being stupid and give this a chance. Also, I wish to take you up on your hospitality."

Sirius looked betrayed, as if Remus wasn't keeping his word and was leaving him for Severus in that very moment. "Moony..." he whinged. Remus merely gave him a scathing look and he shut up. Severus took a moment to survey the two before nodding. The gate-face disappeared and the gate swung open once more.

"Follow me."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Harry was sitting at the table in the formal dining room in between his mother and Voldemort. On his mother's other side sat his father. Lucius and Narcissa were on the far side of the Dark Lord, and Draco sat directly across from Harry. He was happy with this arrangement, as it let him be close to his favorite people, though he did wish that Severus would come back.

"Uncle 'Volo?" Harry asked, much to the amusement of his parents, who weren't quite used to the nickname yet, though they found it quite endearing.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Where did Uncle Sev'rus go?" James chuckled at Harry's contraction of the name. He was sure that Severus must really like it.

"He went to go answer the front gate," Lucius answered, not sure his Lord knew exactly. "It seems we have two new guests."

Lily's eyebrows rose. "Oh, did Sirius come to his senses so soon?"

"Remus must have threatened to leave again..." James chuckled once more.

"Does he do that often?" Lucius asked, faintly curious. The relationship between both men was quite a puzzle to him. How someone so quiet and reserved could put up with someone so boisterous and uncouth was beyond him.

"No, only when Sirius is being especially stupid. When we were in school, he used to threaten to leave Sirius and run away with me—even though they both knew how I felt about Lily. It worked like a charm, though."

Lily laughed next. "Sirius hates being alone, thanks to his poor childhood. Remus is the best thing that ever happened to him, so he doesn't want anything to jeopardize to the relationship. But, he just can't help being stupid."

"I wonder who he threatened to run away with this time?" James wondered.

Lucius asked, "Who would get the biggest rise out of him?"

James smirked. "Severus."

"Then I'm certain there is your answer."

"I'm sure you're right."

They were all still chuckling when the three men entered the room. Severus simply raised an eyebrow at Lucius, who continued chuckling but said nothing. He shook his head in irritation and sat between his godson and James. Unfortunately, that meant that there weren't any seats left at the table, as they hadn't been expecting company. The two newcomers stood just inside the doorway awkwardly—or at least, Sirius was standing awkwardly. Remus could care less.

Voldemort could tell that Harry felt the tension in the room, so he decided it would be better if the men sat down. He waved his wand at the table and it lengthened by two places, one on either side—a seat next to Narcissa and a seat next to Severus to the left and right of Draco. "If you would, gentlemen?" He gestured to the new chairs.

Remus, still a little miffed at Sirius, decided to dig the point in deeper. With a faint little smug smile he strolled over to the chair next to Severus and sat, leaning back comfortably. All enjoyed the pained look on Sirius' face, all except perhaps Harry, who didn't like to see anyone in pain. He looked up at his godfather and asked quietly, "Won't you sit?"

Sirius dragged his eyes away from his lover and enemy and looked at his godson. His little prongslet. He'd hurt this boy, and he had to make it right, even if he didn't like how he had to do it. He walked further into the room, though not towards the chair at the other end of the table. Instead, he knelt in front of his godson and took the boy's hands.

"Harry, I am very sorry. I was being very stupid earlier and letting my prejudice blind me. I had preconceived notions on how the world works and a bit ago, well, you're Uncle Remus showed me how stupid they really were. Your happiness means more to me than the rivalries I've held since childhood. I want to make this right. Will you let me?"

Harry gave him a ghost of a smile. "I wasn't ever mad at you, Uncle Sirius. You just said the truth, and you didn't know that I didn't know it yet. Yes, I got hurt...but finding out the truth would have always hurt me. And sure, I don't like it when my family fights, but it's okay now. Mum and Dad aren't going to make me leave, and I can stay here with my other family. I'll be really glad if you can try and get along with them too."

All of the Gryffindor adults were shocked at Harry's ability to forgive and understand. Without warning, Sirius pulled Harry into a bear hug. "Thank you, Prongslet. I'll do anything for you. There was a reason your parents named me your godfather." Harry snuggled into the hug and let the man's love wash over him. He had never had so many people care about him before.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

All of the adults had adjourned to the drawing room after lunch. Harry and Draco were shooed upstairs so that they could talk in peace.

"So, what are we going to do about Dumbledore?"

"He needs to pay for his crimes!"

"We can't just go about this willy-nilly. The media won't believe just anything, especially not about Dumbledore."

"What if Lily and I tell our story, and reveal that Harry isn't dead at all?"

"That would be very dangerous. Even if the media believed you, there would be no guarantee that the people would. And Dumbledore would be tipped off that someone knows his secret. Who knows what he'd do then."

"A direct fight isn't possible, at least not in his current state."

"Do you have an idea?"

"Yes. A trap. I'll need your help for this Severus, and Draco's."

"Draco's? But he's so young..."

"It's his youth more than anything that will help. Dumbledore is a sucker for a tortured soul, eh, Severus?" Severus merely grunted in acknowledgment of the jibe. “So, this will take a little time, but I'm sure it will work." The others leaned in to hear his plan.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

"Draco..."

"Hm. Yes, Harry?"

"How do you feel about my parents moving in?"

"I still think they are all pretty stupid, but I'll be glad that you aren't alone when I go back to school. I hated you being so lonely."

Harry smiled and leaned in to peck a kiss on Draco's soft lips. "That's why I love you."

"Hm?" he hummed in question.

"You know what to say to make me feel good. And you don't just say it because it's what I want to hear. You mean it."

"Of course I do." Harry gave him another chaste kiss on the lips. Draco smiled and held him tighter. He hadn't ever been more content than he was at that moment.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

"Where's the mutt?"

Remus looked faintly amused, but didn't complain about Sirius' nickname. "He's getting another dressing down from James and Lily."

"I always did think he was exceptionally stupid."

"He has his good points."

"I dare you to name them."

Remus looked at the other man sideways. Was Severus really making an effort at pleasant conversation? Well, if he could try, so could Remus. "Well, he's kind," *snort* "and funny," *snort* "and strong," *double snort* "and fantastic in the sack." *choke*

"I did not want to know that."

"I know, you were just irritating me."

"Noted."

"I know you don't think much of Sirius, and I really know that Sirius doesn't think much of you, but I hope for Harry's sake you can get along."

"Luckily for me, we won't be in close proximity very often."

"Yes, you'll be at Hogwarts most of the year."

"Obviously."

"But what about during the summer?"

"I spend most of my time here, teaching Draco more advanced Potions theory. He has a notion of becoming a Potions Master."

"And Harry?"

"He hasn't received much of an education. When I'm not busy with Draco, I teach him rudimentary potions, fine tune his reading skill, and work on his penmanship. His writing is atrocious, but it's not entirely unexpected. He hasn't had any formal education. He mentioned reading and writing primers that Petunia forced on him when he was about nine or so. He didn't know how to use them, but he looked at them as often as he had light. It's a wonder he even knows how to speak, seeing as Petunia didn't take the time to teach him."

"We were teaching him just before...before..."

"Halloween, yes."

"Yes, before Halloween. He had quite the vocabulary, even then. He was too young to teach to read or write, though."

"Of course."

"How is he at reading?"

"Well, he's slow and stumbles a lot. He can't read potions recipes at all. But he has a good memory. He can brew most first-year potions from memory now, and when I have him work on one he doesn't know, he only needs me to tell him the ingredients once, and the instructions twice. He makes most basic potions quite well."

"He takes after Lily, then."

"I do believe so, yes. Though I don't believe it's all her. What the Dursleys did to him took its toll."

"Will you tell me? I need to know...I need to know just how bad it was...how badly I failed him."

Severus turned to him and forced him to look into his eyes. "It wasn't your fault. Dumbledore has taken in much more shrewd people than yourself. What reason did you have to disbelieve him? As far as you knew, your best friends had been stunned into a coma and their son, practically your godson, was dead. Who would take the time to look for discrepancies?"

Remus closed his eyes. "I should have. I should have been able to smell the lack of blood in the room and known that Dumbledore was lying."

"Remus..."

"Don't try to make me feel better, Severus. I want to feel this. I let him down, and because I failed, he suffered. Ten years he suffered because for once I didn't use my senses."

"I told you, better—”

"Stop, Severus! Just let me feel bad. I haven't suffered for this. I should. I deserve t--"

Severus needed to shut him up, and the only way he could think of to do it was to pull him into a passionate kiss. He hated it when the wolf made himself feel like trash. He had done the same when he had almost killed Severus back in school. It hadn't been his fault then and it wasn't his fault now.

Remus held himself stiff for a moment before giving in to the sensation. He shoved his hands roughly into Severus' hair, pulling the dour man closer. Severus brought his own hands into play, winding them around Remus' slim waist and pulling their hips flush. Remus moaned as he felt Severus' erection slide against his own. Neither man thought about the consequences of their actions, they simply felt.

It was long moments before they broke for air, and even longer ones before their thoughts came back to them. They pulled apart gingerly, as if moving too quickly might cause something to stick to the other person and come off. In only a few moments, however, they were standing apart again. There was a distinct blush on the Potions Master's face.

Remus was feeling guilty. He had told Sirius he would only do that if Sirius insisted upon being stupid, and there he was with Severus' saliva still on his lips. "We shouldn't have..."

"No, that was very foolish. I apologize."

"Don't, it was my fault too."

"But I started it. I just wanted you to stop berating yourself. You sounded just like you did back then, after the Shrieking Shack incident."

Remus' eyes widened and he looked at Severus. "How?"

"Back then, you blamed yourself. You hated yourself for what you almost did. But it wasn't your fault. Black and Potter were the ones who lured me there. You were in the middle of the change. How could you have been held responsible? And now, you're blaming yourself for not noticing something that anyone else wouldn't have noticed. You were in the midst of your grief. Cut yourself some slack."

There was a soft sound from the room behind them. "How kind of you, Severus."

Remus held his breath for a moment, not sure how long Sirius had been there. Did he see? Did he know? "Sirius..."

"I just came up to see if you were ready to go."

"Oh, yes." Remus turned back to Severus. "Perhaps you could enlighten me some other time. I do want to know what happened to Harry."

Severus looked cold and closed off again. "You could get it from anyone in the house. I most likely won't be here when you return."

Remus was a bit hurt at the rebuff, even though he knew he shouldn't be, especially with his loved standing in the room behind him. "Oh...of course. You're very busy."

The Potions Master felt a little bad for purposefully misleading the wolf and decided to cut him some slack. "I need to begin the plan for Dumbledore."

Remus closed his eyes and nodded. Right. He had forgotten. "Then good luck to you."

Severus nodded this time and turned away.

"Come on, Padfoot." Sirius smiled at him and wrapped one arm comfortably around his waist.

"Sure thing, Moony."

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Part 20 – Chapter 18 - January 1, 1993

Harry stood behind Draco in Draco's bedroom. "I wish you didn't have to go."

Draco turned and took Harry's chin in his hand. "I know. But I do. You won't be alone this time. Your parents will be here."

"I know they will, but it's not the same. I can't kiss them like I kiss you, or hold them like I hold you. They don't know what to say to make me feel better. They don't know what I like and dislike. And I don't know them either..."

"I'll be back for Easter hols. It's only a couple of months."

"It'll feel like forever."

"Only if you want it to. Focus on getting to know your parents. Before you know it, I'll be home again."

"Okay, but I'll miss you like crazy."

"If you didn't, I'd think there was something wrong with you."

Harry smiled and rose up on his toes to place a soft kiss on Draco's lips. For the first time Draco didn't leave it like that. He wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and pulled him closer, kissing him harder, trying to show him how much he'd be missed. When they finally parted, Harry's cheeks were brilliant red and his eyes were flashing green.

"I love you," Draco whispered in Harry's ear.

Caressing Draco's cheek, Harry replied "I love you too, Dragon."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Severus was in his lab in the Manor, packing up the last few things he'd need for the next term. Turning around, he was only mildly surprised to find Remus leaning against the wall watching him. They hadn't spoken much in the last several days, but something still lay heavy between them. "Remus."

He smiled, "Severus."

"Did you need something?"

"Not really."

"I'm surprised the mutt isn't nipping at your heels."

"I didn't bring him with me today."

"I hope he's house trained."

Remus' smile widened. "Most of the time."

Severus chuckled. It was so easy with Remus. The banter just flowed naturally. "What can I do for you, Remus? There is obviously a reason you sought me out."

Remus moved closer. "There was...is."

Severus found himself moving closer as well. "And? What is it?"

Another step closer; only a few to go. "I need to say a proper goodbye. I won't be seeing you for a while."

Severus shifted ever closer. "And what exactly does a proper goodbye entail?"

Remus closed the gap. It was perfect timing, and he knew it was no coincidence. He draped his arms around Severus' neck and buried his hands in the man's chin-length black hair. It was much softer than it looked.

"This," Remus replied.

He leaned in at the same time Severus did. Their lips met in the middle. It started slow at first, just a patient glide of lips against lips. Then the animal inside of Remus decided to pipe up. He let loose a deep growl and pulled the other man closer. Within moments they were entwined, kissing passionately. Hands were roving and moans were escaping. They were so entranced with each other they didn't realize they had an audience.

In the doorway stood the Dark Lord and Lucius watching in amusement. They had both been wondering when Severus would find someone, and somehow, they weren't surprised that the person he found was taken. It wouldn't be the first time. They stood there for a long time, letting the others have their moment. But after a while, it was getting a bit ridiculous.

When the kissing turned to petting and clothes started coming off, Voldemort decided he had been patient enough. "Ahem," he coughed, making sure the noise was loud enough to catch the men's attention.

They jumped apart like teens caught snogging in the corridors. Lucius and Voldemort had knowing smiles on their faces, while Severus and Remus sported brilliant blushes. Severus also sported something that looked suspiciously like a bite to his neck. Remus looked free of blemishes—he wouldn't have to explain when he got home.

"Just wanted to see if you were all packed. If you were, I was going to run thought the fine points of the plan again to make sure we're all on the same page."

Severus responded admirably. His voice didn't waver for even a moment. "Of course. I have just a few more things to collect, but then I'd be happy to go over the plan."

Voldemort raised a dark eyebrow. Severus straightened his spine in the way that clearly said, "I'm telling the truth, not speaking code for wanting more time to snog."

The older two men nodded. "We'll expect you in the parlor in five minutes, then, shall we?"

"Yes. Three if I hurry." They moved out of the room and left the two younger men alone.

"Well, I think that about said it. Should I expect you at Easter?"

"No, I usually stay at the castle until Summer."

"Right, then until Summer."

"Yes."

Remus left the room with his back stiff and a decided limp to his gait. Severus smiled as he packed his last few belongings. It was nice to know that he could inspire that in the wolf.

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Part 21 – Chapter 19 - March 27, 1993

Harry was standing in the front hall of the manor, fidgeting while he waiting for Draco to return home. The Malfoys always came through the front door, no matter where they were coming from. They thought there was something dignified about using the door. Why have one if they weren’t going to use it? Harry didn’t care one way or the other. He just wanted his Draco to return.

After a few more moments of wiggling, the door opened to admit the Malfoys. Lucius was in front, followed by Narcissa, then Draco. Harry smiled at the adults as they walked in, briefly, but his eyes almost immediately sought out Draco’s. When they locked, Harry’s smile brightened a good 40 watts. He had missed his dragon something terrible.

“Draco!”

Draco smiled back at Harry, though he was more conscious of his parents in the same room. He didn’t want to alert them to the full extent of his and Harry’s relationship. He wasn’t sure they would understand, or approve. He knew that they knew about Remus Lupin and his cousin Sirius’ relationship, but he didn’t know if they approved of it or not. They hadn’t said anything one way or the other, but he hadn’t asked either. He didn’t want to disappoint his parents.

“Harry.”

Lucius and Narcissa gave the boys a secret smile, then left the entryway to attend to other business. They thought the boys’ relationship was adorable, but they didn’t realize how deep that affection ran. As far as they knew, the boys were as close as brothers.

Once the adults were out of ear- and eye-shot, Harry threw himself into Draco’s arms and held on for dear life. Draco squeezed back equally hard. He had missed his Harry as much as Harry had missed him. Each time he left, it got harder to be without the little raven haired boy. None of Draco’s other friends were as close, or understood him as well, as Harry. With the other pureblood children, there were a lot of machinations. Who could be more powerful? Who could curry more favor with the Dark Lord? Who had more money or influence in the ministry? It was all a lot to deal with, and since Harry came into Draco’s life, Draco really didn’t care about any of it. As far as he was concerned, all of his friends were beneath him, because none of them had Harry.

“Draco, I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, Harry. Why don’t we go upstairs, and we can tell each other what’s happened since I’ve been gone?”

“Okay. I do have a lot to tell you. And I want to hear everything about Hogwarts.”

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Living with the Malfoys had been a definite change to what the Potters were used to. James had chosen not to keep his family’s ancestral home, and live closer to what Lily was used to. He didn’t want to lord his wealth over her, or make her uncomfortable when they got married, and he wanted to prove that he didn’t care about blood purity or anything like that. Their home in Godric’s Hollow was very nice. It was larger than the home Lily grew up in, but was still moderately sized. There was just enough room for the small family, with room for friends to visit. But Malfoy manor was nothing like that home, or even the home James had grown up in.

Malfoy manor was centuries old. It was built after the founders built Hogwarts, but was much older than James’ family home. And the Malfoys had always been much wealthier than the Potters. It came from having hands in major companies and working closely with the ministry. The Potters had a few business dealings, and worked some with the ministry, but never on the same scale. The opulence of the manor was a lot to get used to.

James had been given a study not far from Lucius’, though he wasn’t yet sure what he’d do with a study. Until they defeated Dumbledore, he had no work to take care of. Before he was put into a coma, he’d been an auror. He’d worked in the ministry taking down dark wizards. He couldn’t very well go back to work when everyone thought he was dead. So, until he had work, he mostly just read old newspapers in his study, trying to get caught up on everything he missed in the last eleven years. There was a lot, and the political landscape had changed quite a bit. He was also given some death eater reports to look over, so he could learn more about the organization. Already, he could see that what he’d been told by Dumbledore was far different from what the reports showed.

While James had been given a study, Lily had been given her own salon down the hall from Narcissa’s. Like James, she didn’t know what she’d do in that room. Most pureblood women entertained in their salons. Lily couldn’t do that for the same reason James couldn’t go back to work…everyone thought she was dead. Narcissa offered to set up some luncheons with other pureblood women who were sympathetic to the Dark Lord, women who could be trusted to know that Lily was actually alive. But Lily didn’t know how she felt about schmoozing with those women. She had her own prejudices to get over. Perhaps she’d take Narcissa up one of these days, and break the ice, but for now, Lily mostly just stayed out of her room, finding other things to occupy her time. Like Harry.

Lily was desperate to learn all she could about her son. She had missed eleven years of his life while she was in a coma. And finding out that he had spent most of that time with her sister…it broke her heart. She knew what kind of person Petunia was. When Petunia wasn’t sent a letter to Hogwarts, it broke something inside of the girl. She became bitter and angry, and hated everything her sister was. And when their parents were so proud that Lily got a letter, it just fueled Petunia’s rage. Lily was sure her sister would have held on to the rage and taken it out on innocent Harry. And from what she had and hadn’t been told by the others, it was worse than she ever could have thought.

Over the last few months, Lily had learned much about Harry. He told her about his favorite things, and how Draco taught him how to figure out what those things were. He told her a little of what happened in Petunia’s house, but she couldn’t bear to hear much. He told her about Voldemort and the things the man had done to make Harry feel loved and welcome. He told her about how wonderful everyone had been in the house, even when they didn’t have to. Everything Harry told her made something twist in her heart. Harry had been through so much, and veritable strangers were the ones to take care of him and teach him about love. It should have been her job. She should have taught him about everything. Dumbledore stole that from her. He wouldn’t have the chance to steal anything else from anyone else if she had anything to say about it.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Since Narcissa, Lucius, and Voldemort were so busy with their luncheons and meetings, and Severus was teaching at Hogwarts, Lily and James took it upon themselves to teach Harry what they could about writing, reading, maths, science, history, and everything else he would have learned if he had gone to a proper school. They figured they couldn’t teach him everything by September, but they could teach him enough that he might be able to join Draco at Hogwarts for the next year.

Harry was happy to spend so much time with his parents, and he loved learning. When they told him that he could potentially join Draco if he learned enough, he applied himself twice as hard as he would have otherwise. He was tired of always being left behind when Draco went off to school. He was tired of not having other kids his age to talk to. He was tired of being dumb.

Lily taught Harry about writing, science, maths, and charms. James taught Harry about history, geography, reading comprehension, and transfiguration. Both figured Severus could continue to teach Harry about potions and herbology over the summer. Remus came over some times and taught Harry about defense against the dark arts and care of magical creatures. 

With all of the things Harry was learning, he didn’t have much time to miss Draco or be lonely. It was usually at night, when everything was dark and the house was quiet, that Harry missed Draco the most. He wished his dragon was next to him in the bed, cuddling him and keeping him warm. The only thing that ever helped Harry sleep when he got to missing Draco too much was to think about September, when he wouldn’t have to say goodbye to Draco, when he’d finally be able to go to Hogwarts.

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Part 22 – Chapter 20 - May 17, 1993

So far, the plan was perfectly on schedule. Dumbledore had been informed that Voldemort had created a Horcrux to prevent himself from every dying. After some time, Severus brought the man its whereabouts, making him believe that the information had been hard to come by. It was imperative that Dumbledore never have serious doubts about Severus. If he did, then the whole plan could be jeopardized.

Once Dumbledore knew where the Horcrux was, he had to formulate a plan to retrieve it. Severus sat in several meetings with Dumbledore and Minerva to assist the man in figure out what protections the location may have, and if there were any tools Dumbledore might need to take with him. It was determined that he should bring someone with him, in case the man ran into trouble and desperately needed help. Being the kind of man who never really trusted anyone besides himself, he was planning on taking a house elf with him to retrieve it. Minerva argued that a witch or wizard would be better suited to helping him if he should need to fight his way out, but Dumbledore was adamant that no one else should go with him. A house elf was plenty of protection and assistance. He didn’t tell them that he could more easily dispose of a house elf afterwards than he could a witch or wizard.

The plan was for him to leave in a fortnight. He would apparate outside of the cave where the Horcrux was hidden. He would go in with only the elf as back up. Each of the traps in the cave were designed to weaken the person who went in after the Horcrux. And what Dumbledore really didn’t know was that the elf wouldn’t be much help. The final trap could only be taken on by a witch or wizard. The elf would not be able to do anything for Dumbledore. 

Once Dumbledore had retrieved the Horcrux, he would make his way back to Hogwarts. He would be severely weakened by the final trap, and actually already dying. Death Eaters would infiltrate the school while the headmaster was gone. Draco and Severus would help with that, though making sure no one else knew they were or how the death eaters got in. Once the school was secured, Draco would confront the headmaster on the Astronomy Tower, where the man had been lured. He would playact trying to kill the man and failing, following the story he and Severus had fed the headmaster about the Dark Lord setting a task for Draco that the boy couldn’t do. Dumbledore would know that if Draco failed in his task, then the boy and his family would be killed. While Dumbledore wasn’t incredibly sympathetic to children, he did like the thought of people being indebted to him. He would think that if he helped keep Draco and his family safe, then the family would owe him a great debt. He wouldn’t know that he was about to die. When Draco “failed” his task on the astronomy tower, Severus would swoop in. Dumbledore would think he was there to spare Draco, or to save the headmaster, but Severus would deal the killing blow. With Dumbledore weakened by the poison guarding the Horcrux, and Draco holding the man’s wand after disarming him, it would be an easy thing to kill the man.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Dumbledore staggered on the island in the cave. He had ordered the house elf to feed him the potion until it was all gone, then get him back to the school. When he had tried to make the elf drink the poison, nothing had happened. The poison was still there, and the house elf was shaking in fear. Dumbledore knew that if he tried to make the elf keep trying to drink the poison, he’d not only be wasting time, but also risk the elf leaving.

Dumbledore weakly grabbed onto the little elf’s hand. They apparated out of the cave and popped into being on top of the Astronomy Tower, where the group had decided it was safest for Dumbledore to reappear. If he had needed medical attention, Minerva argued, it would be better for him already to be in the castle. But, Severus argued, it wouldn’t do for him to appear in a place where students might be, or other faculty not privy to the details of the plan. The astronomy tower was one place that fit both criterion. 

Draco was stationed just outside the door to the Astronomy tower, on the steps. He was to wait until he heard the headmaster return, then slowly make his way into the room. Dumbledore wouldn’t know exactly what Draco was supposed to do, but he wouldn’t be shocked when Draco showed up.

When Draco stepped out of the shadows, Dumbledore heaved a sign. He wasn’t really in the mood to help Draco right now. He felt weak and shaky, and just wanted to lay down for a few hours. Draco, however, wasn’t going to give the headmaster time to feel better. He started in on the play immediately.

"I have to do this, Headmaster. If I don't...if I don't...I won't be able to live in peace with my family."

Dumbledore wasn’t sure exactly what Draco was getting at, but he wished the boy would just get on with it. He was getting very thirsty, and he just wanted to lay down. 

“If I do this, if I can kill you…the Dark Lord will reward me…he’ll spare my parents. You understand, don’t you Headmaster?”

Dumbledore sighed internally. That was the task the Dark Lord set? He spared a moment to wonder how Severus would get Draco out of this without the boy suffering punishment. Before he could do anything else, Draco lifted his wand high and disarmed the headmaster. Dumbledore was definitely shocked, but there wasn’t much he could do. His strength was failing more every second. It was all he could do to remain standing. 

This didn’t look like it was doing to end well for him. Severus hadn’t shown up yet, and Draco looked determined to end his life. He had no strength to fight the boy, and no energy to wandlessly summon his wand back to protect himself. The only thought that gave him comfort was that even after he was gone, the Order would continue on his noble work. He didn’t have to worry about his death being a catalyst to the Dark Lord’s victory. But there was one thing that did give him pause.

He hadn't told anyone about Harry yet. He turned to address the house elf, but it had already gone. His mouth was too dry to form words anyway, so he shrugged. Minerva would find out about Harry when she went through his things after his death. She was a smart woman and would figure out what to do. She'd go and get him and train him up to be the weapon they needed. It would all turn out alright in the end.

Draco could see the headmaster’s mind working as he stood there, but he wasn’t sure if he should be worried yet. It was almost time for Severus to come in and save the day. Raising his wand again, he pointed it squarely at Dumbledore and said, "It's time to end this. Avada--"

"No, Draco!" Severus cried from behind the blond. He had finally made it. They had encountered some resistance from a few of the professors, but there were enough trusted death eaters down in the great hall that Severus felt comfortable leaving them with the rebellion so that he could come up to the tower and finish his task. He had a part to play, and he played it well. "Don't tear your soul like this. Allow me..."

He turned on the headmaster with a wicked glint in his eye. His wand was trained on the headmaster much as Draco’s had been. He silently sent a binding spell at the headmaster, as insurance that the man wouldn’t be able to move and ruin his final monologue. He left the man’s head free of the spell, however, wanting to make sure the man could hear everything he said. "I know what you did, Albus. You twisted old fool. You sent the Potters away where they would never get cured. You lied about Harry Potter being dead all these eleven years. You shunted him off on the worst Muggles imaginable. You almost broke him, you know."

Albus managed to find some saliva in his mouth to work loose his tongue. "You don't understand, Severus. Tom must be stopped. His ideas are too radical, his methods to cutthroat. I placed Harry with his family, where he'd learn obedience. He's perfectly fine there. I told them not to kill him, not to give him away. He'll be fine there until Minerva can go and collect him and train him into the weapon he needs to be."

He whispered, "You are a shortsighted fool. You have no idea what you have done. If you had gotten your way, there would be no way Harry would be the weapon you wanted. He didn’t know enough. There wouldn’t have been enough time to train him into anything. He would have been completely shattered. He wouldn’t have had a mind to mold. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that there are fates worse than death? For you, death will be enough. It will be my pleasure to kill you."

"Severus, wait, you must understand—"

"No, no more talking. It's time to end your reign of tyranny. Avada Kedavra!" The brilliant green jet of light zipped out of the end of Severus' wand and slammed home into Dumbledore's chest. The force of it knocked him off his feet and off the edge of the Astronomy Tower. He tumbled quickly to the ground, landing with a sickening thud.

Draco and Severus looked over the edge for several moments, watching the blood pool around the wizened headmaster's still body. After a second, Draco straightened. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the headmaster’s death. He knew that Harry was safe now. He knew that the Dark Lord no longer had major opposition. But he didn’t know if he felt sorry for the broken man on the lawn below, or bad about his part in the man’s demise. The only way he knew how to deal with this confusion was to go on as if nothing was wrong. 

"Well, that's done. I have to go study for exams, now."

"Of course. Just because the headmaster is dead is no reason to slack on your studies. I’ll make sure that things continue on schedule. Exams should still be in a few weeks."

"Too true. Thank you, Severus. See you tomorrow."

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Almost the entire school flooded out onto the front lawn where Albus Dumbledore lay broken and dead. His eyes were still widened in shock. A similar look was at home on most of the students' faces as well. They couldn't believe that their beloved headmaster was dead.

There were a few people missing from the mass. Draco Malfoy was in his common room studying for his exams. Severus Snape had flooed to Malfoy Manor to give his report to Lord Voldemort. And Minerva McGonagall was sorting through the things on her new desk, trying to make heads or tails of the mess Albus had left her. She had so much to do and so little time with which to do it. With her ascension to Headmistress, she'd need to hire a new Transfiguration Professor. And since the curse on the Defense position still hadn’t been lifted, they'd also need a new Defense teacher for next year. Hagrid was very close to Dumbledore. With the man’s death, Hagrid would probably be inconsolable, and need some time off. That meant they’d need a new Care of Magical Creatures professor. She had a good idea where to start looking for replacements.

James Potter was quite good at Transfiguration, or at least he had been before his coma. If she remembered correctly he was even an animagus. There was one wizard who had wanted the Defense position as long as it had been open. If Severus was to be believed, he'd do nicely. And who better to take Care of Magical Creatures than a magical creature? Oh, and they should probably offer Dark Arts now, too. And maybe spellcrafting. That would take care of Lucius Malfoy and Lily Potter. Perhaps a course in deportment and etiquette? Yes, Narcissa was always the vision of poise and grace. And they could always use a new caretaker. Filch was too outdated. Young Sirius Black would do the trick. And with all of these new teachers, their newest student should feel right at home.

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Part 23 – Epilogue Part 1 – May 18, 1993

Severus arrived at Malfoy Manor just minutes after he had killed the headmaster. He was slightly disheveled from the speed with which he traveled. He knew his master would want to know the good news as soon as possible. Voldemort was exactly where Severus expected him to be, in the meeting room, on his throne.

“It is done, My Lord.” Severus bowed at Voldemort’s feet, forehead nearly touching the ground in reverence.

Voldemort looked down at his faithful subject and smiled, since it was only the two of them in the room. “Rise, Severus, and report.”

Severus stood on slightly shaking legs. The adrenaline was still coursing through his body. He knew that once it stopped, he would crash, but until then, he relied on its strength.

“Dumbledore was weakened by the potion, Draco managed to disarm him before I arrived, and I killed him with Avada Kedavra, though the fall from the tower didn’t help anything. He showed no remorse for his actions against Harry. He told me that he gave the Dursleys the order not to kill Harry, or to get rid of him, but nothing more than that. He didn’t feel that Harry needed love or attention, so long as the boy lived to be obedient and kill you.”

This enraged Voldemort. He knew the man had been callus, but sentencing an innocent child to the Dursleys…it was too much. Harry was so precious. So sweet. He didn’t deserve that. No child did. If Dumbledore had shown remorse, if he had no idea of what the Dursleys had done and was angry, that was another story. He might have had mercy on the man. But even until his dying breath, Dumbledore was sure he was right. That kind of man was too dangerous to allow to live.

“You did well, Severus. We will have a formal meeting tomorrow. For tonight, please go rest.”

Severus bowed at the waist and responded, “Thank you, My Lord.” With that, he left for his rooms in the manor. If Minerva or anyone else wanted to find him, they could send a patronus or house elf. He didn’t have it in him to return to the school quite yet.

On his way to his room, Severus encountered Remus. The man looked to be tired, and was probably on his way home. It was just after midnight. When Remus noticed Severus, the tired look faded somewhat and a small smile played on the man’s lips.

“Severus, how did it go?”

Though tired, Severus was glad to see Remus. The man’s presence was soothing. “It is done. He had no remorse, so neither do I. Of all of the people I’ve had to kill in my life, this is one I’m actually glad of. A monster like that doesn’t deserve to live.”

Remus was a bit shocked at the vehemence in Severus’ voice. He knew the Dark side had a lot more against Dumbledore than he did, but he hadn’t realized how deep that hatred went. He couldn’t imagine being that okay with killing someone. He knew that he would have had to if he were in service to Dumbledore over the last eleven years, and when he trusted the man, he would have gladly done what he needed to, but he wouldn’t ever be able to be happy about being the one to end someone’s life. At least, he didn’t think so.

Seeing the shock on Remus’ face, Severus explained more of what Dumbledore had said. He explained what the man had planned for Harry. He explained the deranged look on the man’s face. Once all of that was explained, Remus understood a bit more. The man had hurt his cub for no good reason, and the wolf inside of Remus was glad that the man was dead. He wanted to rip his disgusting heart out.

“I’m sorry for doubting the necessity, Severus. I had no idea how the man really felt.”

“No apology necessary. No one could have known the depths that man had sunk to. He confided in no one fully. Everything we knew was tidbits, only what we needed to know at the moment. I’m sure Minerva will get quite the shock when she finds evidence of all of his plans in his office.”

“Even so, I should have trusted in you more. I know you don’t enjoy killing. So, for you to be glad of this, he must have done something terrible. I should have trusted in that.”

“There you go being too hard on yourself again. Not everything is your fault, Remus.”

“I know that. But I can be sorry for jumping to conclusions, or not using my intelligence. I’m in control of that. It’s something I can change.”

“You don’t have to apologize for being human.”

“No, but I have to work harder at it. I have to be better.”

“Better than what?”

“Better than everyone else.”

“Why?”

“Because of the wolf. Even if I am just the same as everyone else, all people will see are the bad things I do, the bad choices I make, because of the wolf. So I have to work that much harder to not make those bad choices, to not do those bad things.”

“Remus…” Severus really didn’t know how he should respond. He didn’t think that was true, but he hadn’t been there with Remus to see how people in the world treated him. Without that knowledge, he couldn’t properly refute the statement.

“You never have to try that hard with me. I know who you are.”

The affection in Severus’ voice was enough to melt Remus. He knew that Sirius loved him, and would do almost anything for him, but Severus was different. Severus accepted him in a way Sirius never did. Severus was studious like Remus was, he was calm, he didn’t need to be corrected as often. Being with Severus was easy. Being with Sirius was tiring, but full of laughter and passion. Remus was torn. He didn’t want to give up on Sirius, but he did want to see what he could have with Severus. The man was just so tempting.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Remus moved closer to Severus quickly and pulled the man into a kiss. It took Severus off guard, but after a second, he passionately joined in. Remus was everything Severus had ever wanted. Someone to understand him, treat him with kindness, accept his silences and be able to banter with him. Someone he wasn’t afraid to break, or sully with his darkness. Remus understood darkness, and didn’t shy away from Severus.

After several long moments, the two broke apart, gasping for air. Severus wanted to drag Remus back to his room and make sure neither of them got any sleep. Remus knew that he should go home to Sirius. Perhaps tomorrow they could have a conversation about their relationship.

“I’m sorry, Severus. I seem to keep doing this. I shouldn’t…there’s Sirius…but… I can’t seem to help myself.”

Severus took a deep breath to settle his raging hormones. He knew he couldn’t keep Remus, no matter how badly he wanted to. Sirius had claimed him first. It was just one more reason for Severus to hate Sirius Black.

“Don’t apologize to me anymore, Remus. I understand. We can’t all have what we want. Go home to your mutt, and I’ll see you tomorrow, or whenever you’re back in the manor.”

Remus nearly cried. Severus always understood him. It was all he could do to tear his eyes away and continue walking down the hallway. “Bye, Severus,” he whispered as he moved away.

Severus hoped that wasn’t a permanent goodbye.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

“Lily, Potter, it’s done.”

James and Lily were standing in the doorway to their room with shocked and relieved expressions on their faces. James was so glad that Dumbledore was gone, and his son was safe. Lily was shocked that it was all done so quickly. She knew the timeline, but still, she expected things to go wrong, for Dumbledore to put up more of a fight.

“What happened?”

Severus was bone weary, but he figured he had to get used to telling the tale. Many people would probably ask over the coming days. “Everything went according to plan. Dumbledore went after the ‘horcrux’, drank the poison, and was confronted by Draco on top of the astronomy tower. I came in and relieved Draco, shooting the killing curse at Dumbledore. He fell off of the tower and made quite the mess on the lawn below. He did admit to everything before he died, and showed no remorse whatsoever for what he did to Harry.”

Lily looked a little sick at the description of what had become of Dumbledore, but James had a look of deep anger on his face. How dare that man not feel any regret for what he did to my boy, James thought. The man had deserved everything he got, and probably more. Who knew how many other children had been treated similarly by the man?

“Have you spoken to Minerva about the possibility of other children in the same position as Harry?”

A pensive look crossed Severus’ face as he thought about the possibility of there being more abused children. “No, I haven’t. But when I return to the school, I’ll definitely bring it up to her. We wouldn’t want a severely abused child to grow up and decide to decimate the wizarding world because he felt like we let him down.”

Lily tried to hide her yawn, but both men saw it easily. “Thank you for bringing us this information, Severus. It’ll help us sleep better tonight.”

“It is but my duty, Potter. Sleep well, Lily.” With his parting words, Severus turned away and finally went to his own room. He needed a nice, long sleep.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Sirius had been pacing the library for a few hours, waiting for Remus to get home. He was never fully comfortable with Remus being at Malfoy manor without him. He knew that Severus wasn’t there most of the time, but he still had this feeling that it wasn’t safe for Remus there alone. However, Sirius was never fully comfortable in Malfoy manor. That was why he often let Remus go alone. Either way, it didn’t sit well with Sirius.

He understood that Remus was teaching Harry important things. He didn’t want his godson to suffer just because he was uncomfortable. But he also didn’t want to lose Remus because Severus decided to do something to him. Remus was everything to Sirius. He was his reason for getting up in the morning, his reason for eating, for breathing. Without Remus, Sirius wasn’t sure he could keep living.

And of course, those sentiments were incredibly dramatic. Sirius knew that. But, he really couldn’t care about that. For him, they were as true as anything. He was alive because of Remus. Not that Remus had really saved his life in a literal sense, but definitely in a figurative one. Remus gave Sirius purpose. Remus made Sirius want to be better. Remus was the one who told Sirius when he was being stupid, and kept him from losing friends. James was Sirius’ best friend, but Remus was his mate, his everything.

After the two hundredth lap around the library, Remus finally came home. Sirius could hear the front door close and his mother’s dreadful portrait screaming. He stopped pacing at once, and flew down the stairs. He stopped just shy of throwing himself into Remus’ arms. He had some self-respect.

“You’re back.”

Remus smiled tiredly at Sirius. “That I am. It’s been a long day. After teaching Harry, I spent some time talking with James and Lily. On my way out, Severus returned from Hogwarts and gave us the news that Dumbledore is finally gone. Harry is safe, and we can rejoin the world.”

Sirius was floored. He knew that Dumbledore was to be killed, but he didn’t really think about what would happen after that. He hadn’t realized that with Dumbledore gone, he could go back to work being an auror. He could make money again, and find a home of his own. And James and Lily didn’t have to hide anymore. They could go to the ministry and prove they weren’t dead. James would be his partner again. They would all get their lives back.

“Sirius?” Remus had a look of concern etched on his face. Sirius hadn’t responded for so long, Remus was starting to think there was something wrong.

“Oh, sorry Moony. I was just thinking. It’s great. I’m glad we can all get back to things. Maybe we can even go house hunting. Find something that’s more our style.”

A queasy feeling settled into Remus’ stomach. He wanted to have a life with Sirius. They’d been together for so long, he could barely imagine anything else. But there was still that part of him that wanted Severus. Ideally, Sirius and Severus would be able to get along, and Remus could have them both. They could even have each other. But Remus knew that would never fly. Sirius and Severus tolerated each other if they had to, but for the most part, it was hatred on both men’s part. Remus would have to make a choice, but he didn’t know how.

How do you go about telling your life partner of 17 years that it was over? And how do you turn your back on a relationship that just feels right? Remus was regretting that he had chosen Sirius over Severus all those years ago. But he was such a different person back then. Back then, he had wanted the approval of his friends more than anything, he wanted to be accepted. If he’d turned away from his friends and chosen to be with Severus, he’d have lost his friends. Remus wasn’t sure if living with only Severus all those years would have been enough for him. Even though James and Lily had spent 11 years in a coma, Remus still felt connected to them. It wasn’t really just him and Sirius. It was Sirius and him with a purpose. It made all of those lonely years worth it.

If Remus didn’t act excited about house hunting, about starting their lives together again, Sirius would get suspicious. Remus wasn’t sure he could get into a fight with Sirius tonight. He was so tired. And selfishly, he didn’t want to go to bed alone, or have to find another place to sleep if Sirius kicked him out. He would have to pretend, at least for tonight, that he was nothing but overjoyed.

“I can’t wait. Well, I can wait until tomorrow. I’m absolutely knackered. Let’s head to bed, okay, Padfoot?”

Sirius’ smile could light up the darkest of nights. “Of course.”

The two men walked hand in hand up the stairs to their room. Any changes would come in the morning.

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Part 24 – Epilogue Part 2 – June 26, 1993

The train ride was nearly interminable for Draco. All he wanted to do was wrap his Harry in his arms and squeeze him so tight, the other boy would never forget the feeling. The days after Dumbledore’s death were strange for Draco. He still didn’t quite know how to feel about the whole thing, the man’s death and his part in it. Because of that, Draco did his best not to think on it at all. However, the death of such a prominent figure was the talk of the school. No one really wanted to focus on exams, lessons, or anything else. It annoyed Draco to no end. Sure, the man was popular thanks to his lying, scheming ways, but still, he was just a man and exams are very important to a young wizard’s future.

It was quite fortunate that no one at the school, save Severus, knew of Draco’s involvement in the whole mess. The questions he’d be asked would probably drive him ‘round the bend and then some. It was largely thanks to this ignorance that Draco was able to ignore his part in Dumbledore’s death and focus on his school work. The attention was well worth the effort is Draco’s exam scores were anything to judge by.

And now all that was over. The train was minutes from pulling into the station and for once, Harry could be there to greet him. He wouldn’t have to wait until he got home to see his wonderful boy. The only downside was that Draco and Harry’s parents would also be there, so Draco couldn’t give Harry the “Hello” he really wanted to. That would have to wait until they got home.

There, on the platform, was Draco’s whole family. Lucius and Narcissa were standing stoically a little way away from most other people. James and Lily Potter were standing near them, small smiles of welcome on their faces. And in front of them was the one person above all that Draco wanted to see. Harry.

Even though inside, Draco wanted to do nothing more than run off the train, pick Harry up, and give the boy a large kiss on the lips, Draco was raised a proper pureblood Malfoy and could not possibly embarrass himself and his family in such a matter. Therefore, he slowly gathered his belongings and made his way onto the platform. 

Once in front of his family, his father shrunk his trunk so that no one would have to lug the large thing around on their way home. Narcissa gave her son a small, controlled smile and briefly brushed the side of his face with cool fingers. James and Lily said a soft welcome to him, but made no move to touch him in any way. Harry, however, was a different story. He was fairly vibrating where he stood, and Draco could see the effort it was taking him not to instantly jump the blond. It didn’t last long, though. As soon as Draco focused on the boy, he let loose his control and wrapped Draco in a tight hug. Draco gave the boy a small, private smile and hugged him quickly in return. Since he still didn’t want to make a scene, he swiftly disengaged Harry from his person, but still kept the boy at his side.

The four adults shared a knowing smile, but made no mention of the boys’ activities. As far as they were concerned, their relationship was chaste and adorable, and nothing at all to worry about. After all, the boys were barely teenagers. If they only knew the depths of their affection for each other, they might not be so indulgent of their behavior.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Sirius and Remus didn’t bother going to Kings’ Cross to welcome Draco home. Sirius didn’t care to, even if they were family, and Remus wanted to get his conversation with Sirius out of the way as soon as possible. He still wasn’t quite sure what he was going to say to his long-time lover, but he knew they had to hash some things out.

They took separate showers that morning, got dressed, and convened in the ground floor parlor to talk. Remus didn’t want to have this out in too intimate a setting, in case things went pear-shaped. Sirius could tell something was bothering his wolf, but couldn’t tell what it was. Or perhaps he didn’t want to think on what it could be in case he started panicking before the conversation had even begun. Either way, Sirius knew that this was not going to be a happy conversation.

Remus took a chair in front of the fire place, an empty one directly across from him. He needed to be able to see Sirius, but not really be within touching distance. He had a feeling that no matter what he said during this conversation, Sirius was going to get very emotional. If the man started clinging to him, groping at him, then Remus wasn’t sure he’d be able to get through it. He’d probably wind up making an emotional, impulsive decision just to make Sirius happy, not himself.

And that was really what this was all about. Remus wanted to be happy. He hadn’t actually realized he wasn’t until he was lying in bed with Sirius and thinking about the decision he had to make. He knew he loved Sirius, but he was starting to think he held some seriously strong feelings for Severus as well. The crush had always been there, but in the last several months, something more had begun to blossom.

It was this something more that had Remus realizing that he had to talk to Sirius. His feelings for the canine animagus were genuine, and strong, but they were a little too complacent for Remus’ liking. It almost felt as if he had settled for Sirius and grew to love him instead of choosing Sirius because he was “the one.” Severus felt like “the one,” and the thought frankly scared Remus.

Sirius had taken the seat across from Remus and watched the other man as thoughts buzzed around in his head. Sirius did wonder what the other man was thinking about, but only with a part of his mind. The rest of it was swirling rapidly with thoughts of his own. Did Remus still love him? Was he leaving for Severus? But he swore he’d only leave him if he didn’t stop being so pigheaded and stupid. Was Sirius’ reluctance to go over to Malfoy Manor a sign to Remus that Sirius was still being stupid? Had Sirius screwed up even though he was trying so hard to be tolerant?

It took both men several long moments before they could tear themselves away from their troubling thoughts and focus on the matter at hand. Remus shifted so that he was sitting up straighter, and Sirius leaned forward slightly so he didn’t miss a word of what Remus was going to say.

“I don’t really know how to start this conversation. There is a lot I think needs to be said, and a lot that needs to be heard, but for once, I really don’t know how to get there.”

“Since I don’t exactly know what you want to say, I can’t really help you start. Whatever it is, you’ve either got to say it, or don’t. It depends on how important this thing is to you.”

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve been putting this conversation off for a little while now, but I think it’s high time I manned up and got it done.” Taking a deep breath, Remus continued. “I love you, Sirius. I have for nearly two decades now. You make me laugh, you make me smile, you make my days brighter. I don’t know how I’d have survived the last eleven years without you.”

Sirius shifted in his seat, not really liking where this conversation was going. Either Remus was about to propose to him—highly unlikely—or he was going to break up with him. Sirius almost didn’t want to stay to find out which it was, but he knew that running away would only be putting off the inevitable. And, on the off chance that Remus was about to propose, running off would send the wrong message.

“No matter how much I love you, though, some days, it feels like I’m your parent, not your lover. I’ve been dealing with that for such a long time, I hadn’t ever stopped to think about how that makes me feel. Of course, I’m always annoyed in the moment, but afterwards, I never stop to think about how that dynamic is affecting our relationship.

“I’m getting tired, Sirius. Tired of always having to hold you back when you try to run off halfcocked or start spouting off before you have all the facts. Tired of always having to be the adult in the relationship. Tired of having to bend so often to your interests because you have no desire to interact with mine.”

“So, what do you want then, Remus?” Sirius was afraid to say any more than that. He didn’t want to give Remus a reason to leave. Another reason.

Remus sharply ran a hand through his hair and gave a soft growl under his breath. This was very difficult, and he still wasn’t completely sure where he was going with all this. “I… I really don’t think I fully know, Siri. I guess I want to feel important. I want easy conversations. I want to be taken care of more often, instead of always having to be the one to take care of you. I want a relationship that is more balanced and less chaotic.”

“And you don’t think I can give that to you.” Sirius knew he probably shouldn’t have said anything, but he was hurting. His whole world was crumbling before him and he had no idea how to make it stop. He could try to promise that he’d grow up, but he frankly thought that if he hadn’t by now, he most likely never would to Remus’ satisfaction. He could promise that he’s reign in his anger and try to think before he spoke, but again, if he hadn’t managed by now, it wasn’t looking good for him to be able to learn. No matter what he said now, it felt extremely unlikely that it would be enough for Remus.

“I don’t know, Siri. We’ve been together so long now, and you’ve never really tried. You’ve never even thought about trying. It’s never been an issue to you.”

Sirius cringed at that. It might have been true, but to hear it laid out like that was a blow. “You’re right, Remus. I’ve always been content with who I am and how I interact with the world. I may have wished I were smarter a time or two, so we could have more intelligent conversations, but I never really did anything to try and make it happen. I’ve been complacent, and to be honest, I don’t know how much I can change.”

“You mean you don’t know how much you even want to.”

“…”

“I do love you, Sirius. It’s not a matter of not loving you anymore or thinking this is a horrible match. It’s just… I don’t feel as happy anymore. I don’t feel as fulfilled. And some days… Some days I feel like I might have made the wrong choice.”

Sirius recoiled at the last statement. He’d known that there was more to Remus’ threats to leave than immediately visible on the surface, but he had no idea Remus really regretted choosing him all those years ago.

“Have I really been that disappointing? You wish you’d never picked me? You wish these last 17 years hadn’t happened?”

“It’s not really that, Sirius… It’s more that I wonder what my life could have been like if I made a different choice. How would I have survived; how would I feel? Would I be happy now if I had made that choice instead of the one I did?”

Suddenly, a light clicked on for Sirius. One he’d been trying very hard not to illuminate, not to look at. “You wish you had picked him instead, right? And now that you are around him so much, you want to pick him now.” Sirius laughed humorlessly. “I should have known. Hell, I did know, I just didn’t want to see. Stupid Snivellus, always ruining things for me…”

“You can blame him if you really want, but it’s not his fault. He hasn’t done anything to make me have this conversation with you. In fact, I’m sure he has no idea that I even would have this conversation with you. Severus might care for me, and I might care for him, but he would never even think he had a chance. Not compared to you. So if you blame him, it’ll be because you don’t want to blame me. Even though it’s my fault.”

“No. No, if he hadn’t been around, you wouldn’t have decided that I’m not enough anymore. Maybe he didn’t plan it, maybe it wasn’t his intention, but it’s still his fault. His fault for being smart enough for you, understanding enough, mature enough, restrained enough…dark enough. I never even really had a chance of keeping you…not so long as someone like him was there.”

“Sirius, you are being willfully ignorant. If it’s his fault for being everything I need, then it’s your fault for not. And it’s my fault for needing those things and not being content enough with what you can provide.”

Sirius scoffed and got out of his chair, stalking to the other side of the room to put distance between them. He really thought he’d be in tears right now, but the anger at Snivellus made it possible for him to be stronger than that. He wouldn’t break down in front of Remus. He wouldn’t give the man the gift of his tears and his pain.

“I think you’ve said enough, Remus. You should probably just pack your things and go. To him if you want, or anywhere. I don’t really care. You’ve made up your mind, and there’s no point in me trying to change it.”

“I didn’t really want it to turn out this way. Siri—”

“Don’t. You are such a liar, Remus, and I don’t even think you see it. You lie to yourself more than anyone else, though. Trying to tell yourself things to make you feel better about your choices. Well, I won’t let you this time. You did want things to end this way. You’ve been thinking about his dick for months, the way his mouth would feel on yours, how good he’d be in the sack, how much better a choice he is than me… No, don’t you dare say that you wanted things to work out between us. You knew I could never be what you wanted. I’m never going to be calm when things piss me off. I’m never going to look at a Slytherin and think that they are trustworthy. I’m never going to be okay with the Dark, or the fact that my godson lives with Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself. Dumbledore might have been fucked up, but I’m never going to think that the Light as a whole is.

“And face it, Remus…you’re a Dark creature. You were never going to be fully comfortable living in the Light with me. This was inevitable, but neither one of us wanted to see it.”

“You’re wrong, Siri. I love you, and maybe I do feel something for Severus right now, and maybe I do think about his as a partner, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still want you. I want you both, but you hate each other so much, that wasn’t a possibility. I wished you got along with each other so we could all be together, so that no one loses out.”

“No, it was never about ‘no one losing out’, Remus. It was about you having your cake and eating it, too. I’m sure that if you thought you could get away with it, you’d be banging him now, then coming home to me and screwing me, too. In fact, I bet you’ve already tasted that forbidden fruit and that was the catalyst for this whole conversation. You’ve tasted him, and now it’s all you can think about. Have you fucked him yet, or was it just snogging and heavy petting? Has he seen your cock, the way you flush when you’re aroused? Has he had his stupid, lying tongue up your ass? Has he heard the way you moan when you come?”

“Sirius, stop. You’re making things up now. I know you’re angry, but—”

“Shut it, Remus, and just get out. I don’t even want to know the answers to my questions. I just want you out of my house, and out of my life.”

“Sir—”

“Out, Remus.”

Remus sighed sadly and left the room. The conversation had gone both much worse and much better than he had anticipated. He had expected Sirius to rail and scream and beg him to stay, making all kinds of promises that he’d never be able to keep. He expected to stay with Sirius because he hated seeing the man distraught. But Sirius wasn’t sad, at least not in that way. He was angry. He had every right to be, but Remus was worried. And angry, bitter Sirius was a dangerous Sirius. There was no telling what he’d do.

Quickly packing, Remus was out of Grimmauld place in less than twenty minutes. He never had owned many things. Once on the stoop, he had a brief moment of hesitation. He wanted to just run to Severus and receive comfort. But on the other hand, he thought that perhaps he should sort himself out before going to the man.

Thinking back on how angry Sirius was made his mind up. Severus—and the whole house, really—needed to be informed of the situation. If Remus just ran off to lick his wounds and didn’t inform anyone, Harry could be hurt with no one knowing it was coming or why.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Minerva McGonagall’s owl was waiting at Malfoy Manor when Remus arrived. The other adults of the house were already seated in the sitting room, and Lucius was about to open the letter. Remus was gestured to a chair as the letter was opened.

“Apparently, Minerva has need of our services at Hogwarts next year,” Lucius said after taking a few moments to read over the letter carefully. “I believe she has provided teaching positions for all of us. Well, nearly all of us. Black has been deemed fit for the caretaker position.”

Remus must have made a noise because all the eyes in the room found him. “Oh…well… I don’t know that he will be very receptive to the offer.”

Severus was the one to respond, his keen mind quickly latching on to the undercurrents of Remus’ explanation. “And why is it that Black would be…unreceptive…to a position at Hogwarts where his godson will be next fall?”

The shade of red that blossomed on Remus’ cheeks was one rarely found on a person. “Sirius and I have had a…difference of opinion…and our association has ended.”

James and Lily wore nearly identical shocked expressions. Lily’s, however, held a little more worry and compassion than her husband’s. “What happened?”

Remus looked away and didn’t answer immediately. Voldemort, not usually the one to be concerned with the comfort level of others, decided that he perhaps should intervene. From what he could fathom, the reasons for Remus and Sirius’ breakup were most likely not something that should be shared in mixed company.

“Perhaps that is a conversation best saved for later, when all concerned parties are ensconced elsewhere.”

“Yes, that’s probably for the best,” Lily replied. She definitely didn’t want to embarrass Remus with her questions, and she was sure Remus would probably feel more comfortable discussing the row without Lucius and Narcissa present.

“Thank you. However, there is one thing I must mention immediately. Sirius was quite angry when I vacated his home, and when he is in that state of mind…”

“He’s unpredictable.” James continued. He knew very well how his best friend got when he was angered. And from what he could read between the lines, Remus and Sirius would not be in communication for some time. They may never speak to each other again.

“Black has always had a temper. However, what is so special about this one that you feel the need to warn us?” Severus asked.

“Well, I’m afraid he might blame all of you for the turn in our relationship. As he sees it, everything was fine until the Slytherin Death Eaters got involved. I’m worried that he might attempt to harm all of you, or even try to kidnap Harry in the name of ‘protecting’ him. I really can’t say, though, what he might do. He is definitely still on the Light side, even if he agrees that Dumbledore was a monster.”

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. With forewarning, we might be better able to protect Harry should anything happen.”

“You surely don’t think Sirius would actually try to take him, do you Remus?” Lily was wringing her hands, nervous about the possibility that something terrible might happen to her little boy.

“I really can’t say for sure, Lils. I want to say that he won’t, but he was so angry, I’m not sure that he’ll be thinking that rationally. You know as well as I do that he’s a hothead at the best of times. Right now, he’s feeling pretty betrayed and angry, and trying really hard not to think about how hurt he is.”

“Maybe we should go have that conversation about what exactly happened so we can better formulate a plan for what to do if he strikes, and determine the likelihood that he’ll strike at all.”

“You’re probably right, James. Lucius, would you mind terribly if I resided here for a while. It’ll take some time to find myself someplace else to stay. I didn’t exactly have time to prepare for this outcome.”

“Certainly. I’ll have Mipsy set something up for you.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem, Remus,” Narcissa replied. She was rather fond of the man, even after she was told of his monthly condition. He had a good solid head on his shoulders and was far more openminded than most Gryffindors. “You are welcome to stay as long as you need, or as long as Harry wants you here. He’s rather fond of you, and one more isn’t really a strain on the resources.”

Remus blushed, but bowed slightly in thanks. He followed James and Lily out of the room, gesturing for Severus to follow when the man made no move to stand. Lucius and Voldemort shared a short look full of knowing at that. The gesture confirmed their suspicions on the likely cause of the falling out between Lupin and Black. If all went the way Remus was probably hoping it would, they would be seeing a lot more of the wolf.

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James was the first to speak once they were all in his study with the door shut behind them. No one bothered to ward the door, as the relocation was merely a formality and not a necessity. “So, what happened between you and Sirius, Remus?”

Though Sirius was James’ best friend, Remus held a special place in his heart. Remus was loyal, kind, and always ready to lend a helping hand should a friend need him. James vowed that he’d do his best not to take sides in this argument.

Severus, seated across the room from Remus, looked decidedly uncomfortable with his attendance. One part of him would rather be anywhere but in this room, not wanting to know what happened between the mutt and the wolf. The other part of him wanted to be seated next to Remus, holding his hand as the man spun his tale. Both parts were fairly confident that he was the main cause of the two breaking up. If he were right, he didn’t want James or Lily to know that. Their relationship was already quite tenuous.

Remus swallowed hard and began his tale, desperately hoping that there would not be any yelling or hexing involved by the time he was done. He knew Lily would be fine, but he still wasn’t sure about the relationship between Severus and James. They had been more civil since the Potters moved into the manor, but that didn’t necessarily mean that if James found out about Severus’ part in the separation that he wouldn’t go nuts trying to avenge his friend’s honor or something.

“Well, things have been a little odd between Sirius and myself for years now. We really only had each other once you bother were put into a coma. We spent so much time together, almost never apart, that things started growing complacent. I was, more often than not, acting as his father than his lover. I always had to get him out of scrapes, make excuses and apologies for him, and correct his terrible behavior. I’ve basically been doing that for him the entire time we’ve known each other. Since you’ve been awake, I’ve started noticing things like that. Noticing how unhappy I’ve gotten. Noticing how little Sirius notices, or cares.

“When I sat Sirius down to talk with him, I really didn’t go into it expecting us to break up. I wanted Sirius to know what was making me unhappy. I honestly thought that he might be willing to work on some things, might be able to change enough for us to be happy again. Though, a part of me was sort of hoping that I’d be free of him and able to start over. Maybe that part was bigger than I thought it was, or maybe I’ve been lying to myself this whole time and I really did want to break up, I don’t know. All I do know is that I was not the first one to mention breaking up.

“But regardless of that, Sirius now knows how I feel about or relationship and has made his own assumptions about the reasons and no longer wants to listen to reason. He’s got it in his head that the whole reason I decided that we weren’t working anymore is that I’ve secretly been having an affair with Severus and I just now decided that it was time to end my relationship with Sirius before I was caught out.”

The other three in the room looked a little stunned at the explanation, though Severus wasn’t as surprised as the other two. He had a feeling he’d be part of this. He did wonder if Sirius knew any of the truth or if the mutt had merely slung around wild accusations based on the threats Remus had made to get Sirius to apologize for what he did to Harry.

James shook off his shock and asked, “Why would Sirius think that you were leaving him to go have sex with Severus? Or that you already were having sex with him…”

Remus looked a little sheepish, but responded all the same, “Sirius knew that I had feelings for Severus. Because of that knowledge, he decided to jump to the conclusion that I was not at all a man of honor and that I’d cheat on him.”

It almost looked like Severus was going to cough at that, but the dour man thought better of drawing any attention to the statement. As far as he was concerned, James and Lily had no need to know that Remus and he had already engaged in some heavy snogging, and had they not been interrupted by Lucius and the Dark Lord, they most likely would have wound up having hot sex months ago.

“Have you, Remus?”

“Have I what, James?”

“Have you cheated on Sirius with Severus?”

Lily looked torn. One the one hand, she didn’t like the implication that Severus would help a man cheat on his life partner. On the other hand, she knew that Severus had carried a torch for Remus since they were children at Hogwarts. She wouldn’t be all that surprised to find out that the two men had been sneaking around for months, though it was a bit out of character for Remus to do something like that.

Remus was quite offended. He knew as well as Severus that they had come very close to sleeping together months prior, however, he liked to think that he would have stopped them before they got that far. Snogging was one thing, but screwing another bloke was something altogether different.

“I’ve never slept with Severus, James. I knew that so long as I was with Sirius, nothing could happen between Severus and myself. And even still, I love Sirius. It’s just…we’re not compatible. I don’t know that we ever were.”

“How could you say that? You and Sirius have been together for twenty years. How could you have lasted that long if you weren’t meant for each other?”

It was time for Remus to tell his friends the truth he’d only thought to himself. Sirius might have guessed at it, but Remus was going to lay it out. “I never should have chosen Sirius to begin with. All those years ago, he wasn’t the one who had really captured my heart. But, I couldn’t chance going after who I really wanted. I knew that if I did, if I followed my heart, I’d lose my friends. And back then, I couldn’t have survived without you guys. I lived to please you, to fit in. You were my family, my home.

“If I had followed my heart, chosen Severus then like I had wanted to, then it would have been him and me facing everything together. I wasn’t ready then to follow the Dark. I wasn’t ready to leave all of my other loved ones behind. So I chose Sirius, because he was the safe choice, the expected choice. He needed me in a way I didn’t think Severus did. Severus has always been able to take care of himself, but Sirius needed a handler. Someone to keep him from getting into too much trouble. Especially after the Shrieking Shack incident. I knew Sirius couldn’t be allowed to go through life alone, bouncing from partner to partner, never finding peace. And I knew he loved me. I just had to trust that I’d grow to love him just as much. I liked him, I cared for him, but back then, it wasn’t really love. It was duty.”

All three occupants were floored at what Remus had just shared. None of them had known just how deep the fissure between their friends had been. Severus had no idea that he’d ever had a chance to be with Remus, and a very large part of himself was angry and hurt that he never got it. That Sirius and James had taken that away from him. A much smaller part of him was flattered that Remus thought he could take care of himself, especially because it was true. But that part was also sad that he hadn’t had Remus by his side during some of the darkest days with the Dark Lord.

James was torn in his feelings. He was glad that Remus so valued their friendship, glad that Sirius got twenty years with the man he loved, but also sad that Remus had ever felt that he had to choose between love and friendship, and even sadder that he had been right in his assumption. If Remus had told them that he was going out with Severus, that he was going to follow Severus after graduation, none of them would probably have spoken to him again. Perhaps Lily would have sent him a letter every now and again, though it was possible that James wouldn’t have let her. They were all such different people back then. Well, Sirius was pretty much the same.

Lily couldn’t really believe what she had heard. Remus had given up the life he’d wanted for their friendship. He’d spent twenty years with his second choice. He’d been afraid of their reaction to his true love. Lily knew she probably wouldn’t have completely abandoned Remus, but she also knew that any friendship they might have retained would be paltry compared to what it would have been, what it was. And James was so heavy handed that he probably would have forbidden Lily from speaking to Remus again. Whether she would have listened or not wasn’t as clear. She did a lot of what James wanted back then. And she’d been so angry at Severus for his emotional outburst in fifth year.

“I’m so sorry, Remus. I had no idea…”

“That was the point, Lils. You weren’t supposed to. I didn’t want to lose you guys, so I never told. I kept it to myself, I learned to love Sirius in his own right. We built a fairly happy life together over the years. It’s just…not enough anymore, not what I want anymore.”

Severus felt the need to pipe up. “What do you expect of me after my having heard all this?”

Remus gave a small sardonic smile. “I don’t expect anything from you, Severus. I have some hopes, some wishes, some desires, but no expectations.”

He thought about that for a moment, then nodded. “Very well. We can discuss that at a later date. I propose we move on and get to the discussion about Black’s mental state after all of this was dropped on him.”

James and Lily took a moment to regroup, then nodded and leaned forward in their seats. “If I know Sirius, and I believe I do, he’s going to be blaming Severus for 99% of this. So, he’s going to want to strike back, make Severus hurt as much as he’s hurting. It’s pretty much the same as when we were kids. Sirius felt inadequate so he lashed out.”

“What do you think he’ll do, James? I can’t see him actually trying to hurt Remus. And simply causing Severus physical pain doesn’t seem his style. He’s want to do something big. Something lasting.”

“I don’t know anymore. It’s been at least thirteen years since I’ve really had to think about this. I guess, normally, he’d go for something Severus loves and rip that away from him. But I don’t know if he’d know what to take.”

“The only things I really care strongly about are here in the manor. I live to serve the Dark Lord, I have always cared deeply about Remus, Draco is precious to me as my godson, and I have come to care quite a lot about Harry. The most vulnerable things on that list are Harry and Draco. I’m sure Black wouldn’t want to cause any physical harm to Harry, but I’m not sure if he’d be thinking about how his actions could mentally scar the boy. And as Draco is his cousin and a Slytherin, he seems like a likely target.”

“I am not so sure about that, Severus. While we were arguing, we got into about the Dark Side and some other things, and he swore he’d never harm a child. I don’t think he’d hurt Draco because of that. And the only way to use Draco to hurt you would be to physically harm him. And in doing that, he’d be pissing off the Malfoys, the Dark Lord, and Harry himself in addition to you. I don’t know that he’d want to do all that.”

“Yes, that could be, but you have to remember that he’s angry, bitter, and hurting. He might not be thinking through each consequence of his actions. If he’s acting out of passion, he could decide to throw some of his morals out the window to get the desired effect. Like he did when he nearly had me killed.”

“Severus, I don’t think he’d go that far, even if he was totally destroyed by Remus’ leaving. There are just some things he’d never do, even under the imperius curse. Harming an innocent is one of them. Draco might be a Slytherin, but he is still an underage student. I personally feel that it’s much more likely that he’d try to remove Harry from the equation, since he’d know he wouldn’t be able to actually hurt the Dark Lord or Remus.”

“We’re all assuming that Sirius actually knows what Severus cares the most about. He never paid that much attention to Severus, so how would he know. Sirius works more on assumptions and preconceived notions than facts. He may assume that Severus’ job is the most important thing to him, or his reputation as a Potions Master. Or even his freedom from Azkaban. Sirius might try to compile evidence that Severus is a Death Eater in fact instead of a “spy” so that he is thrown in Azkaban. If he’s locked up, he won’t be able to really steal Remus away from him.”

“You’ve good insight, Lils. I often forget that about Sirius. He doesn’t actually think things through, and he’s not often that logical, especially when he’s upset. This is exactly why he’s so unpredictable.”

“We can only prepare so much for an attack we can’t pin down. It seems likely that Black will do something in revenge, but we can’t even know that for sure. For all we know, as soon as Remus left, all of the fight left him and he broke down sobbing like a child. I say we remain vigilant, but not stress about the ‘what ifs’ too much. We don’t want to worry Harry unnecessarily.”

The group had forgotten that part of all of this. Harry’s reaction to knowing that Sirius might attack. That Sirius hated them so much. It’d hurt him if something happened to any of them.

“I agree, Severus. We should let it go for now. Try to keep things as normal for Harry as possible. If something happens, we’ll at least have some warning.”

“I’m glad we’ve got that settled. And that you all aren’t mad at me.”

“Remus, we love you. Just because you and Sirius had a falling out doesn’t mean we care any less. And with everything else we’ve had to except, it’s no great hardship to know how you feel about Severus. Besides, I’ve known how he’s felt about you for years.”

Remus was a little gobsmacked, but quickly got over it. “I love you, too, Lily. Thank you both for always being there for me.”

James clapped his friend on the shoulder as he went to open the door. “Don’t mention it.”

As the quartet left the room, Severus spoke briefly to Remus. “Why don’t you come by my lab later and we can talk. I should be there for the rest of the afternoon. Lessons with Draco and Harry won’t start for a day or two.”

Remus smiled softly and nodded his agreement.

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Part 25 – Epilogue Part 3 – The Future

It turned out that they all had been worrying for nothing. Sirius never did make a move. In fact, none of them had heard from him in a long time. After the breakup, he’d fallen off the face of the Earth. Remus was relived, to be sure, but also worried about his long-time lover. He sincerely hoped that Sirius didn’t do something drastic.

The rest of the group were equally pleased that their worries had come to nothing. Harry had been told that Sirius wouldn’t be around anymore, and at first the boy was broken up about it, but after some time, he realized that it might have been for the best. If Sirius was never going to be okay with how Harry lived, then the man was always going to be a fly in their ointment.

Voldemort was oddly glad that he didn’t have to kill Black for doing something foolhardy. Part of it was because killing Black would have hurt Harry, but the rest of it was because he was no longer as interested in killing as he once had been. Harry’s presence in his life had made lasting changes.

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Remus and Severus took some time to get reacquainted before jumping into a physical relationship. It was difficult for the men to hold back, but once they finally came together, it had been well worth it.

Severus was truly happy for the first time he could remember in a very long time. He had Remus by his side, and their relationship was a thing of beauty. They rarely argued, they had stimulating discussions, they shared silences as well as time apart, and neither felt as though they had to manage the other. It was so easy for them.

The rest of the house was pleased with the harmony, and Harry and Draco were especially pleased that the two men now had each other. Draco had never seen his godfather so happy, and while Harry had just recently gotten to know Remus, he could tell the man hadn’t been this happy in a long time either.

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Minerva was pleased to hear back from the group about her job offers. She was a little disappointed that Sirius would not be joining the staff, but the addition of the rest and the new relationship between her Potions Master and Care of Magical Creatures professor more than made up for the man’s absence.

The students absolutely adored their new teachers. Professor Riddle was a hit with all houses, not just Slytherin, for his competent teaching method and his fair punishments. The classes were always fun as well as informative. The OWL and NEWT level student were especially pleased. Professor Riddle made sure that all of his students were prepared to take their exams.

Since Narcissa Malfoy joined the staff, more muggleborn students began to see what many purebloods had been complaining about for some time. They were dreadfully ignorant of the traditions and expectations of the Wizarding world, and with her class, they were quickly learning how to better fit in. With the integration of the muggleborns, house rivalry died down. The blood differences were less pronounced, and tolerance ruled the day.

Lucius Malfoy had a bit of a harder time winning over his students, but when they all learned that Dark Arts does not necessarily equate to killing and maiming, he got a much warmer welcome. Parents, too, relaxed when they realized Professor Malfoy’s curriculum was actually appropriate for children.

Lily and James Potter were welcomed with open arms. They were still heroes, even if their sacrifice was mostly unnecessary. People still loved them for what they represented: parents who would do anything for their child. Lily’s spellcrafting class was very popular, and James had a boom in students who wanted to become animagi.

Remus was probably the most beloved teacher, however. He was kind, understanding, patient, and fun. His students learned more about creatures under his tutelage than they ever had under Hagrid or Grubbly-Plank. And Remus absolutely loved his job. He got to spend his days around bright young minds and challenging creatures. His nights were spent with one of the most bright and challenging creatures of them all, the elusive Potions Master.

The whole school knew of their relationship, but as both professors were discreet, no one was really bothered by it. In fact, many were very happy to see their potions teacher so content with life. Severus gave out fewer detentions and took fewer house points now that he was happily mated. Neville Longbottom would forever be a source of lost points for Gryffindor, however.

The happiest person with the new staff had to be Harry. He finally got to go to Hogwarts, but he didn’t have to say goodbye to his family to do so. He was pleased as punch that they could be there with him. And if something upset him, he had his Uncle ‘Volo and his parents there to help him get back on his feet. And Draco. Always Draco.

Fin.


End file.
